Fratelli
by Mx Akiyata
Summary: It's easy to wonder how Flavio and Luciano could even be related. Their personalities couldn't be more clashing, and fighting is inevitable. But even with all the crap they put each other through, they'll always be fratelli. This fic contains a series of stories on their daily lives and conflicts. /2P! characters
1. Intro

"It's just a stupid shirt!"

Flavio trembled, enraged by his brother's statement. "It was a _pure silk_ blouse, _signed_ by my favorite 19th century fashion designer!" he shouted, tears brimming the corners of his eyes. "And you RUINED IT!"

Luciano rolled his eyes. "Well that's what you fucking get for _trying to forcing me into it!_"

"I just wanted to see how it'd look on you!"

"Well now you can see how it looks in the trash!" Luci screamed.

Flavio gasped and scoffed, clutching the battered fabric to his chest. "Don't you say that again!"

"You are such a materialistic jerk," the younger growled, squinting with rage.

The elder huffed, face quickly growing redder as he became angrier. "Well you're a selfish little _cazzo_!" he exclaimed in defense.

"_I_ am?" Luci seethed, his aura growing dark.

"_Si,_" the blond grunted. "_You_ don't care what you destroy!" he shouted and whipped the ruined clothing onto the ground, glaring at his brother.

"Well _you_ don't care about anyone but yourself!" Luci argued, his voice raising with each word.

"Oh, you're one to talk," Flavio tsked and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and looking away. He began to carelessly ramble on about it. Luciano did the same, rambling on as well. For nearly an hour, the two of them continued ranting over each other without even bothering to listen to the other. At some point, they were arguing about entirely different subjects, barely aware of one another. "And I swear, I was amazing as always. But nooo, you just _had_ to insult my beautiful singing in front of everybody!"

"You were always praised by everybody!" Luci ranted, facing away from his brother without hearing a word that he had said. "You think you are _so_ perfect, don't you?"

"Really, you just can't handle fabulousness, can you, fratello?" Flav rambled, shaking his head. "I don't know why I even bother to help you."

"You think everybody has to be like you," Luci grumbled.

"Well I'm done dealing with you!"

"I can be however I want, asshole fratello."

"I'm going out," Flavio said and waltzed over to the doorway, grabbing one of his jackets from a coat rack. "Have fun sitting all alone!" he shouted, glaring at his brother before leaving and slamming the door shut.

Luciano ground his teeth together as he watched his brother leave. "Yeah, well it's better than being with you!" he shouted even though his brother had already gone. He stood there numbly as he heard the car start up and drive off. Letting out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, he let his anger sink away. He looked down at the torn up shirt on the ground, picking it up to examine it. "Stupid fratello," he mumbled quietly and walked into the kitchen, tossing it in the trash. He stretched and headed down the hall to his office. Stacks of paper were piled high on the desk. Some littered the floor while others were crumbled into balls around the trash can. Having two personifications for the same country, his bosses had decided to cut the deadlines in half. Too bad Flavio never did his part. Luci wanted nothing more than to enjoy his time along. But unfortunately, he had a lot of work to get finished.

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**Sorry, I suck at intros. Anyway, hope you liked it. I've got a lot of future chapters in mind. There will be a mix of humor, romance, cutesy family stuff, angst, and so on. So each chapter isn't necessarily dependent on the one before it. Some will be. But for the most part, each chapter is its own little drabble. Hope you enjoy reading them.**


	2. Valentines Day

**Lorenzo - Seborga; ****Alejandro - Spain; I'm sure you know the others. **

* * *

"Luciiiii~" Flavio's voice rang throughout the house, getting no response. "Luci?" he called and walked into the kitchen, seeing his brother at the table, drinking a cappuccino and reading the morning paper. He sighed. "Honestly, why don't you answer when I call you?"

Luciano glanced up, eyes following his brother as the blond started breakfast and poured himself some wine. He lifted his own drink to his lips and sipped at the hot contents, going back to his reading without a word.

Flavio finished with breakfast shortly after and filled two plates, setting them at the table. "Lorry! Breakfast is ready!" he yelled from the base of the staircase and went back to sit at the table, eating quietly. A moment later, the creak of the stairs could be heard, and a young teenager tiredly walked into the kitchen, wrapped in a blanket. The boy made himself a cappuccino and sat down in front of the plate his brother had laid out for him, yawning. "Did you get enough sleep, Lorry?" Flavio asked with a smile. The youngest brother was always like a walking zombie in the morning.

"Mm," the boy hummed in agreement, taking a long sip of his drink. "So, Flavi," Lorenzo said, setting his mug down. "You doing anything special today?"

The blond clasped his hands together, giving that charming grin of his. "I am so glad you asked, fratellino~! Alejandro's taking me out to dinner later. Oh~ And he's going to_ love_ what I'm giving him later~!" he practically squealed. Luciano rolled his eyes, but it didn't go unnoticed. "Sooo…..Luci. Anything going on for you, today, hmm?" Flavio teased, leaning over the table.

Luci tsked and downed the rest of his drink, harshly standing up and placing the mug in the sink. He left the room without bothering to answer and headed off to his office.

"Bitter as always," Flav sighed and leaned back in his chair, sipping his wine.

"It's not like you expected anything else," Lorenzo laughed and started chowing down.

"Guess not," the elder smiled and finished his meal. He stood and stretched, gently placing his plate and glass in the sink. "Lorry, could you be a dear and wash the dishes when you're finished? I have to go get ready."

Lorenzo nodded. "Yeah, I can do that," he said, plucking a fork in his mouth.

"Thank you~" Flavio sang and left the room. He headed upstairs and got himself dressed nicely. He fixed his hair and added a bit of makeup to look his best. A few poses in front of the mirror, and he was good to go. "Luci," he called and pushed open the door to his brother's office. As usual, Luciano was hunched over is desk, indulged in his work. "Luci, Lutz and the others are going to hang out for singles awareness. Why don't you join them?" he asked, standing in the doorway.

"No."

Flav scrunched his eyebrows together. "Come on. You're always pegging away at your work. You have to get out once in a while."

"I'm fine," Luciano grunted, not bothering to turn around.

The blond sighed dramatically and ran a hand through his hair. "You are _such_ a stick in the mud. Can't you just_ try_ to have a little fun?"

Luci grumbled and set his pen down, rubbing his temples irritably. "Just go," he ordered.

Flavio huffed and crossed his arms, staying put. He stood there, squinting; analyzing. "You're upset that you're single, aren't you?" he smirked, hitting a nerve.

Luciano turned around slowly with a crazed glare. "What kind of accusation is that?" he growled threateningly.

"Oh, nothing." Flav waltzed into the room and lay down on an old couch. "Just, you know….you're jealous of me, aren't you?" he smiled, staring lovingly at his brother. "You want what I have." He dodged as a pen came whizzing at his face. "Ah, ah, fratellino. That's not very nice," he chuckled. "Come on. Why don't you just go out for a little while?" he suggested. "It'll be better than sitting in here all day."

Luci growled and crossed his arms. "Will you fucking leave me alone if I do?"

"Of course~!" the blond chirped, smiling. "Hurry up and get changed then," he said and got up, walking toward the door.

* * *

"This is stupid," Luciano mumbled irritably. "You said 'hang out,' not watch Lutz pole dance," he complained, resting his face in his hand, bored.

"Oh, quit whining and watch," Flavio giggled, eyes glued to the German on stage. "Anyway, love, we should probably get going," he said, turning to Alejandro. The Spaniard gave a curt nod and stood up, signaling that they were leaving.

Lutz stepped down off stage to see them off. "I take it you dragged him here?" he chuckled, glancing from Flavio to Luciano. "You look bored."

"Really," Luci replied half-bitterly.

Lutz laughed heartily and patted him on the shoulder. "Come on, I wasn't that bad," he joked, earning an eye roll from the Italian. "Anyway, you don't have to stay."

"Then you won't mind if I leave?" he asked pointedly.

"Nein." Lutz offered a friendly smile. "Go on home."

Luciano sighed and stood up. "See you around then," he said exhaustively and left, waving over his shoulder.

Flavio shook his head. "I honestly don't understand him." He sighed.

"I guess he's just never cared for stuff like this," Lutz laughed. He'd been friends with the Italian for a long time, and he knew just how opposite he was of his flirtatious brother. "Anyway, you guys should get going. I'm losing money the longer I'm off stage."

Flav smiled and blew him a kiss. "Blow them away, Lutzy~!" he called and finally headed out, holding onto Alejandro's arm. "So….I've got a special gift for you when we get back from dinner," he whispered seductively, winking when the Spaniard glanced down at him. "I'm sure you'll love it," he said, kissing the other's jawline.

Alejandro's face softened, and he smirked lightly, planting a kiss on the blond's lips. "I'm sure I will."


	3. Fratellos

"Why did we come?" Luciano asked as he followed alongside his brothers. Lorenzo had wanted to sleep over Oliver's house with the other micronations. "It's not like we're staying at this stupid micro-party."

Flavio put an arm around his shoulders and smiled. "Lighten up, Luc. I figured Oliver could use a little company for a bit."

"I have to hang out with the pink one?" Luci complained, rolling his eyes.

"I told you guys not to come," Lorenzo laughed. "I can go places myself."

"I know, I know," Flav chuckled, ruffling the youngest brother's hair. "But I'm allowed to make sure my baby fratellino has a safe trip, aren't I?" He threw his arms around both siblings and pulled them close for a hug.

Lorenzo chuckled and playfully swatted his hand away. "You worry too much. I'm old enough to take care of myself, Flavi."

"Doesn't make you any less of my baby brother."

"Yeah, well, Luci is too." He chuckled, seeing the "please don't" look the other gave him.

"Yes, well, he's deadly," Flavio joked.

Luciano rolled his eyes irritably and continued to listen to the two of them go back and forth. He was surprisingly glad when they'd finally reached the Brit's house. And yet, he already wanted to leave. Before they could even knock, the door swung open, revealing an irritated micronation.

The boy had dark hair and wore fairly colorful clothing. Despite the bratty expressions, it was obvious he was related to Oliver. "What, you can't even come here without your fratellos?" he mocked, smirking.

The elder Italian brothers both raised a brow and exchanged a glance. Lorenzo snickered and burst out laughing, earning a glare from his friend.

"What?" Richard asked.

"Idiota," Lorenzo said, calming himself down. "It's _fratelli_, not fratellos," he explained. "Seriously, you should stick to English," he finished and walked into the house, his brothers following behind.

"Now, Lorry," Flavio said. "Be nice, alright?" He turned to the grumpy boy. "Don't mind him, Richard. Is your brother around?"

Richard sneered and stuck out his tongue before storming off into the house. Soon enough, the elder Italian brothers were left alone in the entryway.

"Don't be nice to that brat," Luciano growled as he hung his jacket on a coat rack. "He misused our language."

"He didn't know, fratello," Flavio sighed.

"Then he shouldn't have used it."

The blond rolled his eyes and hung his own coat up, turning and walking toward the kitchen, where he rightfully assumed the house owner to be. Sure enough, Oliver was at the counter, icing cupcakes for the micronations to munch on. He had several other snacks prepared as well. "Need any help~?" Flavio asked, startling the Brit.

"Oh my. Flavio, you gave me a fright," Oliver squeaked, blinking. He then grinned, happy for the company. "I suppose you came with Lorenzo?"

"Si," he answered just as Luciano begrudgingly entered the room. "And I dragged him along too," he said, eyes shifting to his brother with a joking smirk on his face. "Need any help?" he asked, eyeing the colorful treats.

Oliver giggled. "I'm actually just about done. Would you like one?" he offered. Flavio nodded, fingers instantly wiggling toward the mini cupcakes and picking one out. He unwrapped it, careful not to make a mess with the icing, and plucked it into his mouth. "Do you like it?" Oliver asked cheerfully.

"Oh, it's delicious~!" Flav exclaimed, licking a smudge of icing off his finger. "Wonderful as always."

"Thank you," Ol chirped, smiling. "Would you like one?" he asked, turning to Luci, who immediately looked cautious.

"How do I know it's not poisoned?"

"_Luci!"_ Flavio warned, glaring at his brother. Luciano groaned lightly and rolled his eyes.

"They aren't poisoned, poppet," Oliver assured. "After all, I'm feeding them to a bunch of children. I'm not_ that_ cruel," he laughed.

"Of course. Who would want a bunch of sick kids staying at their house?" Luci remarked bitterly, earning a wide-eyed glare from his elder brother. "What? Tch. Fine," he said and reached out for a little cupcake, inspecting it in front of his face. He glanced between Flavio and Oliver and sighed, taking a tiny bite and swallowing before contemplating any more.

"Well? Do you like it?"

"It's alright," Luci mumbled, nibbling a bit more.

Flavio shook his head in disgrace. He really had to teach his fratelli some manners.

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**This chapter was written mainly in one short sitting due to a review I got last chapter. XD I hope it was still entertaining.**

**To the guest who left a very rude review about the title of this story, I'd just like to point out:**

**Fratelli is the **_**plural **_**of fratello. This story is about several brothers, not just one. I appreciate your enthusiasm about having correct information, but please study and know your information before "correcting" someone else. This chapter is dedicated to you since I could not reply back to a guest review.**

**Oh, and **_**(just so you know I'm not mispelling fratello here either) **_**"fratellino" means younger/little brother. Hence why Flavio is typically the one to use it, as he is the oldest. And really, I can't see Luci using it much for Lorenzo. lol**

**To my other lovely readers:**** If you ever think that I have made some sort of mistake in language/culture or something, please inform me kindly. I don't want to put out false information, so I always try to do my research before writing. However, I can still make mistakes. So please, inform me in a mature fashion. I would really appreciate it. :)**

**Thanks for reading &amp; please review~!**


	4. Chipped

It was a rather calm and relaxing day. Luciano had already gone off to his office, Lorenzo had left to hang out with friends, and Flavio had decided to redecorate a little. Unfortunately, no one was available to help him move the furniture, but nonetheless, he would get it done.

The blond stood and pondered what he should do to change things up. Maybe if he moved the couch in front of the window….? But that would require moving everything else as well. Then again, the living room had been like this for a while now….It could use a new layout. Flavio hummed to himself and began rearranging things. He was careful not to bump the mantel, as his awfully expensive antique vase was presented there in view of the entire room. No, he avoided that and carefully moved around the leather recliners and the tables. Then came the difficult part; the couch.

Flavio sighed and slumped his shoulders before leaning down and grabbing hold of the wood frame of the furniture. He was doing his best not to break a nail as he attempted to drag the couch. It screeched, and he winced, hoping it wouldn't scratch the cherry wood floor he had put in last autumn.

"Come on," he grumbled and mustered all his strength to lift and turn his end of the couch. He began to drag it toward the window when he knew he could no longer do it. His muscles gave out, and the furniture dropped. Quickly, he jumped back so his feet would not be crushed, only to slip on the area rug and fall at an alarming rate. He didn't have time to react as his face was slammed into the edge of a table he had pushed into the center of the room.

He blinked back tears and blurred vision, only to realize that his mouth was bleeding. "Merda!" he cried and cupped his hand under his face so it wouldn't drip onto the carpet. He quickly got to his feet and dashed to the bathroom. "Please still be there," he whined and looked in the mirror to see if he had lost a tooth. His eyes widened when he saw the reflection. He had all his teeth. But was that….a chip! He screamed internally and shook, reaching out to the reflection of his chipped tooth. He brought his hand back and felt it, tears brimming the corners of his eyes as he realized just how horrible it felt.

He sniffled and forced himself not to cry, bending down to rinse the blood from his mouth. Turns out, he had bitten his tongue upon impact, and that's where all of the red was coming from. And though it hurt, it wasn't nearly as upsetting as the little gash in his front tooth. He grabbed some toilet paper and used it as gauze to stop the bleeding, then looked back up at the mirror and forced himself to grin, faltering at the sight. He frowned and hung his head. He couldn't even get it fixed any time soon. His dentist would be on vacation for the next two weeks….

"What now?"

Flavio jumped and turned, eyes wide. "L-Luci," he stuttered and tried to talk so that his imperfection would not be visible. "It's nothing," he waved. "Just checking my makeup," he lied with a false laugh.

Luciano sighed and rolled his eyes. "You don't seem too enthusiastic," he pointed out. His eyes scanned his brother and then landed on the pile of bloodied toilet paper next to the sink. He raised a brow, and Flavio followed his gaze.

Quickly, the blond grabbed the pile and tossed it into the garbage, as if that would keep erase the memory of it from his brother's mind.

"What did you do?" Luci sighed.

Flavio bit his lip and frowned.

"Flavi…"

"Luc…" Flavio whined, lip quivering as he tried to keep his tears back. "I chipped a toooooooothhhh," he bawled and stumbled over to hug the other. He sniffled and explained in broken sentences how he had been moving the furniture and slipped. "What am I going to doooo? I can't go out like thiiiiiiiis," he sobbed grossly.

Luciano took a shaky breath to keep himself from snapping. He could bring up the fact that it was_ just a tooth_, but he knew that would get nowhere with Flavio. And so, he calmed himself down. "No one is going to look down on you for a chipped tooth, idiota," he stated. "Whatever. If I help you move the stupid furniture, will you stop crying about it?"

Flavio pulled back from the hug and stared down at his brother with sparkling eyes. "Davvero? You'd really do that for me, fratellino?"

"Don't make me change my mind," Luci grumbled irritably.

"Great. Let's go!" Flavio hugged him again and then bounded down the hall.

Luciano closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He reopened them and glanced around the bathroom before leaving down the hallway as well. When he got to the living room, he stopped and stared at the mess his brother had made. Furniture had been pushed mostly to the center of the room, and it looked as if a whirlwind had run through the place. He sighed. "Come on. Let's hurry up and do this so I can get back to work."

The brothers both lifted an end of the couch and began carrying it toward the window, careful not to slip on the area rug. "All you do is work," Flavio stated as they set the couch down and moved onto the smaller furniture. "Why don't we go out and have some fun after this?"

Luci raised a brow and finished pushing a table into place. "I thought you wouldn't go out like that," he said nonchalantly and helped his brother move one of the recliners.

"Oh," Flav yelped and shot a hand up to his face, feeling the small space in his tooth. He dropped his side of the chair in the process. "I forgot…" he whined, frowning sadly.

"It doesn't matter," Luci sighed. "I have too much work to do anyway. Let's just hurry up and finish this. I'm not helping you with the rest of the house," he informed irritably.

"Aw, but why not?" Flav whined. "Redecorating is fun~!"

Luci rolled his eyes and didn't bother arguing. He was glad when they'd finally finished. Flavio seemed pleased with the new arrangement and went on to make dinner, saving the other rooms for another day. After all, he was bound to be bored over the next two weeks.

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**Thanks for reading &amp; please review~!**


	5. Bitter Brothers

"_Vaffanculo!"_ Luciano shouted and threw punches at his brother.

"Calm down," Flavio pleaded and continued to dodge his brother's fists. "I didn't mean anything by it," he explained as he was backed into a wall. His eyes widened as a fist flew straight for his face. He yelped and ducked, quickly rolling out of the way before he could be kicked. He frowned fearfully as the other turned toward him with eyes just looking for bloodshed. "Now, now, fratello…" Flavio said, his voice shaking as he took note of his sibling's bloody fists from punching the wall. "Let's solve this –_calmly_!" he yelped again and jumped behind the wall leading into the living room as a knife came whirling toward him.

"You are so fucking full of yourself," Luci said bitterly and pulled another knife from his sleeve.

Flavio straightened and quickly jumped for the knife that had been embedded in one of the arm chairs. He yanked it out and spun to the side, avoiding the second as it came whirling toward him. He jumped up and held his knife out defensively, breathing heavily. "It's not _my _fault you don't care about your appearance!" he countered and lunged forward, knowing full well that his brother would have a third knife to block with. And he did. "All I wanted was for you to dress like me for once. But _noooooo_. You just had to get angry as always!" he ranted, pushing his knife against Luci's as they glared at each other. With his free hand, he gestured to the torn shirt he was wearing. "Just because you're not as fabulous as me doesn't give you the right to ruin my things!"

Luciano growled and pushed the blond away with his free hand, taking a swing as his brother stumbled back. His attack was countered with a swift movement, and the knife was knocked from his hand, twirling through the air until it pierced a framed photo of the siblings, shattering the glass. He didn't even spare it a glance as he caught his breath and glared hatefully at his brother.

Flavio frowned but knew better than to look away. He glared for a moment before sighing and dropping his arm, letting his knife fall to the floor. "Fratello, this has got to stop. Look, I know we have our differences, but it wouldn't kill you to try something else for a change."

Luci clenched his jaw and let out a bitter sigh. He looked away and began stepping slowly to the side. His brother watched him with confusion as he lifted the lamp from one of the side tables and inspected it in his grasp. His eyes flickered back to the blond, and with much force, he wailed it toward him.

"No!" Flav shouted and stumbled back. The lamp just barely missed him as he fell to the ground, but his luck was lost when he heard the shatter. His eyes widened, and he turned around to see the damage. The lamp had crashed into his vase; his highly expensive antique vase. He choked back a sob and brought a hand to cover his mouth. Tears were already pouring out of his eyes, and he gave up caring for his own safety as he bawled over the loss of his prized possession. "You…You monster," he whined, crawling toward the mess and carefully picking out the shards that were now lumped in with the broken lamp's. He didn't bother to look back at his brother as he began to clean the mess, hands shaking with grief. After nearly an hour of crying and cleaning, he bit his lip and dumped the shards into a box. He sniffled and tossed it in the garbage, not having much of a choice, as both the vase and the lamp were damaged beyond repair. He would never see his precious vase again. Finally, he sniffled and frowned, turning away from the garbage can to glare weakly at his brother. "I hope you're happy," he whispered and walked passed Luciano, heading up to his bedroom.

Luciano sighed after his brother had disappeared from sight. This kind of thing happened much too regularly. Flavio would come home from a night out with friends and would pester him until they argued and he eventually snapped. Then again, it didn't take much to make him angry. He got irritated very easily, and he would often end up ruining something of his brother's. Flavio would cry for a bit and avoid him for the rest of the night; probably call up his friends and whine over the phone about how horrible his brother was and whatever got ruined that time.

"Tch." Luci stepped back into the living room and glanced around at the damage. His eyes landed on the photo, where his knife had landed almost perfectly in his own portrait's heart; as if erasing him from the image. He sighed through his nose and yanked the knife out, cleaning the pieces of glass off of the floor and furniture and placing them on the photo that he now held horizontally in his hand. He walked back out of the room and dumped it into the garbage, disgruntled.

Sure enough, when Luci could already hear his brother's sobbing and ranting as he bitched about his problems over the phone. Luciano grunted and rolled his eyes. It was always a wonder how that blond's friends didn't get annoyed and leave. Oh well.

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**Such angry Italians. Sorry, this is a quick chapter that I just wrote in like half an hour. Heh...**

**Anyway...Thanks for reading &amp; please review~!**


	6. Birthday Bowling

"Well, if it isn't the birthday boys," Lutz called and gave a curt nod to the Italian brothers. Flavio had wanted to go bowling to celebrate, so he'd invited a ton of friends. Of course, they were the last to arrive because a certain blond just_ had_ to take forever with his makeup.

"Hey, Lutzy~!" Flavio waved and took the seat next to Alejandro, pecking him on the lips before he started to change into his new bowling shoes. Somehow, he could actually make them look good.

Luciano rolled his eyes and plopped down in an empty seat, crossing his arms. He really hated bowling and intended just to watch.

"You're not bowling?" Lutz asked, bumping the Italian's shoulder. "It's your birthday. Come on," he laughed and sat down beside him.

"Not a fan of it," Luci answered bleakly and shrugged. "I'll just watch you get your ass kicked," he joked and gave a little smirk.

Lutz laughed heartily and punched his arm playfully. "Hey now, I'm not that bad." He paused and glanced over at the FACE family, where they all seemed to be poking fun at the Francois as they all changed their shoes for the game. "I'll be better than him, at least," he smirked and nodded his head toward the Frenchman. "It's those two I'm really worried about," he said, glancing between Oliver and Alejandro. "They always end up on top somehow."

Luciano raised a brow and glanced between Lutz and Oliver. "The pink one?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Yup," Lutz answered cheerfully. He then stood up and stretched his arms. "Alright guys, let's get this show on the road!" he announced to the group of nations, and the lot of them stood to go grab their bowling balls.

Allen yelled for Matt to grab him a ball and hopped in the middle seat, typing in everyone's names. He half turned to look at Luciano. "Hey, Luc. Ya playin?" he asked. He finished setting up the game after the Italian shook his head. "Alright! Let's get our bowl on!" he shouted, laughing, as the others returned.

"That is the lamest thing you could say," Matt said nonchalantly and plopped a ball in the American's hands. Allen nearly dropped it.

"Holy shit, dude. This thing is fucking heavy."

"Swear jar," Oliver said as he headed up to place his ball on the machine. From there, the nations began bowling for the next two hours. Eventually, they decided to take a break and let the Italians open their gifts while they ate. Of course, it was no surprise who the huge pile of presents was for. Flavio was pretty easy to shop for, after all. Luci, on the other hand….well, Lutz and Kuro were the only ones close enough to consider friends.

"Sorry. I wasn't really sure what to get ya," Lutz chuckled and handed Luciano some cash. "I know how picky you are, so why not get something you'll like?"

"Hai." Kuro bowed slightly and handed him a bit of money as well. "You probably would not like anything I would pick out," he explained. "I hope you can find some use of it," he said, referring to the money.

Luciano folded the money into his wallet and shoved it back in his pocket, hiding his disappointment. "Si. Grazie," he thanked them, and they went back over to see what everyone had bought for Flavio. Luci sighed and trailed his eyes to the door. Without another spare glance, he turned away from the group and left to get some fresh air. He felt like he'd go insane if he continued to sit and listen to his brother squeal with delight at every gift he opened. At least it was a little quieter outside. _Chilly_, yes…But quiet, nonetheless.

"What'cha doing out here?"

Luci stiffened, a bit startled at the voice. He frowned grumpily and glared at the American standing beside him. "I can _go _wherever I want."

Allen chuckled. "Well, yeah. But why out here? It's fucking cold. Your party's inside for a reason, ya know."

"You mean Flavio's party," Luci corrected.

Al raised an eyebrow. "It's your birthday too."

"Tch. I may as well not be here," he said, staring out at the street as cars drove by.

"Hey," Allen said, placing a hand on the Italian's shoulder. He drew it back though, when he received a threatening death glare. "Look, uh, why don't you bowl the next game? It'll be more fun than just sitting there."

"I don't like bowling," Luci stated flatly.

Allen sighed. "Is there anything you do like?" Luci gave him a blank stare and didn't answer. He sighed again. "Okay, okay. Um….oh!" He perked up and dug something from his shirt, pulling it over his head and holding it out to Luci. "Here. It's nothing special, but uh…" He shrugged.

Luciano stared at it questioningly. It was a woven necklace with a carved wolf tied to the end. He glanced back up at the American, giving a confused look.

"Take it," Al laughed and suddenly hung it around Luci's neck before the Italian could protest.

Luci blinked and lifted the end of the necklace, giving it an odd look. He looked back at Allen again and raised an eyebrow. The American only grinned childishly.

"It's for you, okay? You don't have to like it. Happy birthday," he said and took a step back. "Come on. We should probably get back to them," he said and motioned him to follow as he headed back inside.

Luci watched him go and blinked a few times before looking back down at the necklace. He frowned slightly and tucked the necklace into his shirt. It probably didn't mean anything. He knew that. And yet….the warm feeling in his chest was completely new to him.

* * *

**Almost forgot to upload this today. Happy Birthday to the Italies~! I guess? lol **

**Thanks for reading &amp; please review~!**


	7. Carnival Date

Colorful lights danced around and shimmered in his eyes. He looked around excitedly as he latched onto the Spaniard's arm. "Oh, Andres Alejandro Fernandez Carriedo, you are the absolute_ best_~!" Flavio squealed, hugging the other tightly and leaning into him as they continued through the crowd of strangers. He'd always wanted to have a carnival date, and he couldn't be happier.

Alejandro spared a glance and wrapped an arm around the Italian's shoulders, holding him in his own sort of gesture of love. "Where to?" he asked.

Flavio bit his lip childishly and looked around, instantly perking up when he spotted a small stand just a short distance away. "Cotton candy?" he suggested, smiling up at his boyfriend.

Andres' eyes softened, and his lips curved ever so slightly. "Sure," he agreed and started heading toward the stand. They stood in line for a few minutes, until Flavio finally got his sweet treat. The Italian beamed with joy as the fluffy candy melted in his mouth. He peeled another piece off and tilted his head up, offering it to the Spaniard, who leaned down and allowed it to be plucked into his mouth. He let it melt and placed a kiss on Flavio's lips.

Flavio smiled and kissed back. After pulling back, their eyes locked, and Flavio felt his heart melt, paying no mind to the judgmental stares of the people around them. He flashed a grin and stepped back, fingers entwining with Alejandro's. They continued walking along until Flavio spotted a large stuffed dolphin in one of the stands. His eyes lit up as he eyed it.

Alejandro followed his stare and saw the toy. He smirked and laughed to himself. Flavio could be so damn cute. "You want that?" he asked, and the Italian instantly knew what he was referring to. He looked up with hopeful eyes and nodded. "Alright," the Spaniard said and headed to the game stand, asking how much it would be to play.

Flavio watched hopefully as Andres continuously won, knocking down the pins almost perfectly each time. He wasn't at all disappointed when his boyfriend finally handed him the prize. The Italian instantly hugged the large stuffed animal. "Thank you, darling~!" he said and pecked the other on the cheek.

Alejandro's eyes softened. "Where to now?"

The blond pondered for a moment, subconsciously squishing his cheek into the dolphin. "Ooh!" he exclaimed and quickly grabbed Alejandro's hand, smiling. "Come on," he said and lead the way. The spent the next hour or so playing against each other at various game stands, as well as riding several things. They saved the best for last. It was getting late, and what better thing to do than view the nightlife from above? They climbed into a ferris wheel seat and waited patiently as it got higher; further from the crowd of people below. "It's so beautiful," Flavio whispered and leaned into the Spaniard's side, taking in the view.

Alejandro hummed in agreement and wrapped an arm around the other's waist, getting his attention. He leaned down just as Flavio leaned up, and their lips locked for a few seconds before they pulled back again.

"You're such a romantic, you know that?" Flavio purred.

"Am I?" Andres asked with a short laugh.

"Yes, unlike him," he said, pointing his eyes toward a couple on the other side of the wheel; one of which was rocking their seat as the other squealed with fear. Flav rolled his eyes and closed them, relaxing. He didn't catch the smirk on his boyfriend's face and nearly pissed himself when their seat began rocking. He quickly snapped his eyes open and latched onto the hand-rail. "Andres Alejandr-AH!" he screamed as it continued to rock. But soon enough, he was laughing at the pure act of it all. He laughed even after the rocking had stopped and lightly smacked his boyfriend on the shoulder. "Don't do that," he joked and smiled more upon seeing the Spaniard laughing. He bit his lip and practically glomped him, still giggling. "You're the best," Flavio squealed and buried his face into the crook of Andres' neck.

Eventually, their little joy ride had come to an end, and the world around them seemed to slow down as they headed out of the carnival, exhausted. Flavio napped almost the entire way home, resting his head on the stuffed animal. When they got to the Italian's house, Alejandro walked him to the door and kissed him goodnight, making sure he was able to get in the house before he took off for his own home.

Flavio locked the door behind him and leaned against it, sighing with a content smile on his face. He held his plush dolphin in his arms and hugged it as if he were hugging Alejandro himself. He really wished he could have spent the night with his boyfriend, but the other had an important meeting in the morning. Still, he was glad that they still got to go out tonight despite that. With a delighted huff, he pushed himself off the door and made his way through the dark house, seeing a dim light shining under his brother's office door. Of course he'd be working at this hour. He shook his head and rolled his eyes, heading upstairs for the night. He was exhausted. Quietly, he took off his makeup and did his usual bedtime routine. It was a relief to finally crawl under the covers and let his body sink into the foam mattress. He shivered with delight and held his new stuffed animal close. At least now he had something to cuddle with when his boyfriend couldn't stay.

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"**I will not make myself fall into another ship," I told myself as I continued to write this chapter. Too late.**

**Thanks for reading &amp; please review~!**


	8. Shopping Dispute

"Come onnnn~! Let's go, people~!" Flavio sang throughout the house as he waited for his brothers by the door. "We don't have all day."

"We do, unfortunately," Luciano grumbled as he made his appearance and headed out to the car. Lorenzo followed shortly after, and the three of them began Flavio's wonderful idea of yet another shopping trip. They weren't sure why he bothered bringing them. He was the only one that would ever buy anything.

Yet here they were, being dragged around Flavio's favorite shopping mall.

"Oooohhhh~" the blond sang and stalked up to a glass pane, staring in at a rather expensive pair of white boots. "Those look nice. Don't they, Lorry?" he asked, not bothering to turn toward his brothers.

Lorenzo rolled his eyes. "Sure," he said, knowing that his opinion wouldn't matter anyway. "Can we just get food or something? We've been walking around for hours."

"Has it really been that long?" Flavio asked, turning to face the others with an eyebrow quirked.

Luciano grumbled and sent him a glare. "You've been dragging us into every damn store."

"And trying on everything…" Lorenzo added.

Flavio straightened himself and rolled his eyes dramatically, laughing. "You two are such drama queens. Try to have a little fun," he suggested and turned back to the boots in the window. "Now, should I get these, or what?" His brothers groaned simultaneously, causing him to face them once again. He pursed his lips and sent them an annoyed look. He was about to argue more, but the sound of Lorenzo's growling stomach interrupted their little dispute. Flavio sighed in defeat and grabbed his shopping bags. "Alright, alright. Let's get some lunch."

Lorenzo perked up immediately and picked up the bags his brother had wanted him to carry, leading the way off to the food court. The two elders sent annoyed glares to one another before following after their younger brother.

"Honestly, Luci, I don't know why I bother to bring you two along anymore."

"Me neither," Luciano hissed and sped up in favor of joining his younger brother.

Of course, they'd all settled for pizza. It was one of the few things they could all agree on. Quietly, the three of them sat and enjoyed their lunch. And that was when Flavio noticed something a little off. A woman sitting just a couple tables away was staring at them. Or more specifically….his brother. Flav exchanged a look with her and smirked, turning to Luciano, who was silently sipping at his drink.

"Fratello, I never thought it possible, but you seem to have gotten a fan," he stated teasingly.

Luciano glanced at him questioningly, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. His brother nodded his head in the direction of the woman, and Luci turned to look at his admirer. She winked in response, and he sneered in disgust, turning back to his drink and sipping it rather angrily.

Flavio rolled his eyes in irritation and propped his elbow on the table, waving his hand as he spoke. "That is not how you should treat a lovely young lady. Why don't you talk to her? She's awfully pretty."

"Not interested."

"Fratello," Flavio stated sternly. "How do you know you're not interested if you don't try? Come on."

"I'm _not _interested. Just tell her to fuck off."

"Ugh," the blond groaned in annoyance and turned to the youngest sibling. "Lorry, work with me here."

Lorenzo paused in his eating, a long string of cheese spilling from his mouth. "What?" he said with his mouth full, earning a look from the other. He swallowed and wiped the sauce from his lips. "Well, uh—I mean. If Luci says no, then like—Don't force him?"

Flavio flicked his hand in the air and leaned back in his seat. "You are _so_ helpful," he said sarcastically and crossed his arms.

"Sorry…" Lorenzo said, keeping his head down.

Luciano tched. "Don't apologize. He's the one being a stronzo."

Flavio scoffed. "How_ dare_ you? _Forgive me_ for trying to hook you up, you _senza cuore piccolo scatto!_"

"Better than being a slutty playboy," Luci hissed in a whisper, narrowing his eyes in a glare of hate.

Flavio's eyes widened in intense anger. "At least I'm _capable_ of loving someone."

Luciano clenched his fist. He could feel his anger bubbling as he continued to glare hatefully.

"What? Nothing to say?" Flavio teased with a mockingly sweet voice. "Cat got your tongue?" He observed his brother hold back his anger, bemused by the sight. "Oh, right. You refuse to talk to the pretty little kitties," he teased bitterly.

Lorenzo's wide eyes flicked back and forth, from one brother to the next. He could just feel the impending doom and kept mentally cursing Flavio for _trying_ to make Luci snap. He gulped nervously. "Um—F-fratellone. Maybe you shouldn't—"

"Or do you only like men?" Flavio continued, completely ignoring his youngest brother. He smirked when he received an intensified glare. "I hit the nail on the head, didn't I~?" he joked, grinning like a bitch. "Oh, fratello~ That's quite alright. After all, I swing both ways. Every way, actually." He smiled sickeningly. He could practically feel the anger and hate pouring from Luciano. "Now, now. Wouldn't want to make any scenes," he said as he noticed the other reaching for his knife. "Wouldn't want that pretty lass to see your true self, now would we?" He winked.

Luciano slammed his hands on the table, upsetting their drinks as he shot up from his seat. He didn't spare his brothers another glance as he stomped off, on-lookers stepping out of his path as he pushed through the crowd.

"Ugh. My shirt…" Flavio whined as he wiped the spilled drink from his clothing. "We really should get him anger management classes," he said off-handedly.

Lorenzo sighed and put his head in his hand. He wouldn't dare tell Flavio that it was _his _fault Luci had gotten angry. After all, the blond already _knew_. "Can we just go home? Everyone's staring at us…" he asked, as he sunk in his seat.

Flavio looked taken aback. "I came here to shop, fratellino, and Luci's little outbursts are not going to stop me from doing so." He stood up and grabbed his things. "Now come on, Lorry~ I simply _must_ try on those lovely boots."

The boy sighed. "Yeah, alright."

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**Hey! Sorry it's been a while. From finals to suddenly working practically every day when I got home, I've been pretty busy. I'll try to update more often again. I hope this chapter wasn't **_**too **_**much of a disappointment.**

**And I promise, Flavio isn't entirely an asshole. He just has a bit of a sibling dispute with Luciano and tends to take things a bit too far. They both do. Don't hate them. lol**

**Anyway thanks for reading &amp; ****please review~!**


	9. Family Game Night

"Alright, boys~! Here we are," Flavio announced as he waltzed into the living room with a stack of board and card games in his arms, placing them in the middle of the floor.

"And _why _are we being forced to play your stupid games?" Luciano asked from his seat at the couch. He propped himself up on the arm of the couch, looking bored already.

"Now, Luci," Flav said calmly. "Family game night is very important to maintaining healthy relationships and brotherly bonding."

"Can't maintain what was never there," the other grumbled under his breath.

"I heard that," Flavio scolded and began to lay the games out. "Now. Lorry, you want to pick the first game?" he asked, glancing to the youngest, who actually seemed pretty excited about it.

"Let's play Mafia!" he exclaimed.

Luci rolled his eyes. "Can't play that with three people."

Lorenzo slumped. "Alright…Uno?"

"Uno, it is," Flavio agreed and pushed the other games aside as he took the cards out of the box and began shuffling.

"Why are you bothering to shuffle?" Luciano asked boredly.

"Well you have to shuffle before the game," Flav explained.

"You shuffled it at the end of the last game."

"So what? I'm double shuffling."

"That's stupid."

"You're stupid. Shut up and play," Flavio demanded as he handed out the cards. An hour later, and they were still indulged in their game, having played several rounds. Lorenzo won every one of them, and the two elders were determined to see who could beat him first. "Will you _stop _giving me so many pick up cards!?" Flavio exclaimed in frustration. He had at least twenty cards threatening to spill from his hand.

"I'm just getting rid of my cards," Luciano stated with an amount of smugness in his voice.

"Well reverse it and give them to Lorry! He's the one we need to beat!"

"What'd I ever do to you?" Lorenzo smiled innocently as he took his turn. "Uno," he said with a smug smile.

Flavio turned to Luciano and widened his eyes, gesturing to their younger brother. Luci glanced over as Lorenzo flashed him a cocky grin. "Alliance?" Luci asked, not taking his eyes off of Lorenzo.

"Let's beat this little brat," Flavio stated and continued the game. The next few minutes were intense, with the two elder brothers shouting demands for what to do. It was all very amusing to the micronation. But eventually, it was about time to end it.

"Out," he said, pausing the two from their quarrel. They looked over, blinking, and realized that he'd won yet another game. Flavio growled in frustration and tossed his cards into the air. Luciano stubbornly slammed his cards down on the floor.

"Let's play a different stupid game," Luciano demanded.

"What, you're gonna pout now?" Lorenzo joked.

"Shut up."

"Hold on," Flavio said as his phone dinged. He opened his messages and frowned.

"What's wrong?" Lorenzo asked, eyebrow raised in curiosity.

The blond stuck his lip out and sighed, laying his phone down. "Andres was supposed to come over later, but his stupid boss gave him a bunch of work all of a sudden," he pouted. "Who am I going to cuddle tonight?"

"Your dolphin?" Luci casually suggested.

"That's not the same," Flavio whined and became silent, eyes shifting in thought. Suddenly, he bounced up and pulled his brothers into a hug. "Fratelli siesta!" he exclaimed, ignoring their struggles to break free.

"Like hell," Luciano growled and squirmed out of his brother's grasp. But Flavio quickly tightened his grip.

"Oh, come on. It'll be fun," the blond stated and sprang up to get the bed ready.

Lorenzo and Luci lifted themselves from the floor, not too thrilled by the idea. Or at least, Luciano wasn't. The younger of them was actually a bit glad to spend time with his fratelli. It was more so the fact that his siblings were pretty much bound to fight that had him a bit ruffled about the idea. "He better not touch me," Luciano grumbled and mentally prepared himself for hell.

* * *

Luciano's eyes bored into the ceiling. If he thought he lacked sleep normally, that was nothing. But _this_…?

He didn't know what was worse; Flavio's _loud_ snoring….or Lorenzo's constant kicking at his face. How did that boy end up upside down, anyway?

But no….the worst part was that he was stuck in the middle. Trapped. While his younger sibling was sprawled out across the bed and _constantly _moving in his sleep….the other was clinging to him like a child.

Snoring, kicking, eyes boring into the darkness…He definitely regretted giving in to Flavio. He would rather be up all night doing work. At least _then_ he'd be doing something more productive….and less claustrophobic.

He sighed irritably. His brothers were both very deep sleepers, unlike himself. He could probably get himself out of this. Yeah. He could. He could practically feel his own bed calling out to him. But first, he had to get out of this mess...

After analyzing the situation, he mentally prepared a plan for how he could escape without causing too much commotion. First, he had to free his legs from the cocoon of blankets. Which….was proving difficult for him. He couldn't lean forward to lift Lorenzo off because Flavio's arms were stretched across his chest. He began pulling one leg up at an odd angle, doing his best not to kick anyone. But the blankets were constraining him too much to get it free entirely. Fantastic. He sighed, letting his head fall back on the pillow. That had actually taken a lot of effort out of him. New tactic. What if he tried to loosen the blanket first?

Luciano adjusted himself, squirming to get his arms free. Once he did that, he gripped the blanket and tried pulling it toward himself. Nothing. He tried again, exerting as much strength as he could from the awkward angle. He felt it budge, and he was able to move his leg just a little further. It was extremely uncomfortable now, but he was determined to be free, so he kept pulling, turning to the side so he could wrap an arm around it and pull with more force. He could feel it slipping. Just a bit more—

He yanked it back, surprised as he somehow punched himself in the face and slammed the back of his head off the wall. His legs suddenly became free in the motion, and a large thump was heard as the blankets flew up over his head.

Flavio awoke with a jump, startled by two loud thumps. He pulled back quickly and blinked awake, trying to adjust to the darkness of the room. "_Cosa_…?" he mumbled, confused, and looked over to the side. Luci was irritably throwing the covers off of himself while rubbing the back of his head. "Luci…..?" Flav asked in his tired state. It was taking him a while to process whatever had happened. He blinked again and looked around. "…..Where's Lorry…?"

Luciano paused in rubbing the pain from his skull, glancing down at the bed. His legs were free, and….Lorenzo was on the floor. "What's it look like? He's on the floor," he said casually, waving his hand toward their younger brother. "Must have rolled off," he lied.

Flavio bit his lip and stared at the boy now sleeping on the ground. He shrugged, lying back down, facing away from Luci. He pulled his stuffed dolphin to his chest and hugged it. "Mkay. Well I need my beauty sleep, so good night," he yawned.

The room was once again filled with snoring, though it was thankfully not as loud this time. Luci just sat there, back against the wall, not really wanting to move anymore. He didn't know how long he sat awake, but his eyelids felt heavier than ever, and his muscles felt as if they could give out at any second. Yawning, he decided not to bother leaving. It really wasn't so bad once he could have his own side of the bed. So he just coiled himself in the blanket he'd taken and began drifting off. Maybe he'd actually get some sleep this time.

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**Apologies for the...deeply disappointing chapter. Or at least, the second part of it...I've been in a writer's block for a little while, and I just really wanted to get this chapter done, so I ignored the block and wrote randomly anyway...so it ended up probably being stupid and poorly written. Sorry.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading &amp; ****please review~! Really, I greatly appreciate reviews. They make my day. And really, they encourage me to write more. Even if I might not reply to all of them, thank you for taking the time to leave comments!**


	10. Taunting

**Thank you **_**kumquat42**_**, **_**The Forgotten Traveller**_**, and **_**CloudCarnivore**_** for reviewing last chapter!**

* * *

"What the hell are _you _doing here?" Luciano sneered, casting a disgusted look toward the Spaniard that was sitting in his seat at the breakfast table. Of course, Luci's always the first up. But he really wasn't expecting anyone to be in his kitchen.

Alejandro spared him a look of boredom and quietly sipped the cappuccino he'd made for himself, setting it down with a clank. He ignored the Italian's question, only pissing the other off even more-so than his very presence alone.

Luciano clicked his tongue in irritation and turned to the refrigerator, opening it to peer inside. Out of habit, he reached in toward the milk. He paused. And blinked a few times. And as his anger began to bubble, he took a deep breath and sighed through his nose, gently closing the fridge. He was seething.

"Oh, Andres~!" rang the familiar voice of his elder brother. Luci heard them smack lips as they greeted each other. "You're here earlier than expected, love."

"To make up for dropping out last night," Alejandro replied in a calm voice, tinted with just a bit of sweetness. "And I heard there was a slumber party," he teased, directing the statement toward the other Italian. He smirked as he saw Luciano's hand twitch. "Oh." The Spaniard turned back toward Flavio and lifted his mug up. "Drink the rest. You're out of milk."

"Oh? That's nice of you, swee—"

"You _fucking _broke into my house and used the last of _my_ milk, and you expect me to be okay with this?!" Luciano screamed, startling his brother and earning a slight smirk from Alejandro. He turned to look the Spaniard in the eyes, obviously _pissed_ that he couldn't have his morning cappuccino. He saw the look in the Spaniard's eyes; that spark of arrogant satisfaction that Luciano _loathed._

"I was invited," Alejandro stated, a touch of taunting in his voice.

"Get out."

Flavio scoffed. "_Luci._"

"OUT OF MY HOUSE,"Luci growled._ "NOW."_

His brother shot forward and stood between his boyfriend and the terror that was his brother. "_I will not let you talk to him that way,"_ he hissed.

Luciano squinted, observing the threat in his brother's glare. His eyes then travelled back to the Spaniard, and he scowled at the devious little grin the other had snuck onto his face. "_Tsk_," Luciano frowned and averted his eyes back to the blond in front of him. "Why are you so damn protective of this stupid cazzo?"

"He's my_ boyfriend_," Flavio hissed again, stepping forward and whipping a knife from his sleeve. He held it up, pointing the blade toward his brother.

Luci gritted his teeth and stared at the blade. "You're threatening me?" he asked casually, clenching his fists and shaking in anger. He glared up into his brothers eyes, and only then did Flavio snap out of it. But before he could lower his arm, Luciano had gotten a grip of his hand, forcefully holding his arm in place. "I could _easily _break you." His voice was gritted, as he did his best to keep his temper at bay.

Flavio gulped and trembled slightly, as he knew it was too late to back out of his brother's grasp. "I-I'll tell Nonno!" he panicked. Luciano's glare shot straight at him, eyes wide. Flavio flinched, waiting to be hurt. He felt Luci begin to forcibly move his hand.

Alejandro nearly shot out of his seat, ready to protect Flavio. But what Luciano did next halted them both.

He gripped Flavio's hand tight that his arm trembled from the pressure alone. And he pointed the blade directly at his own heart. His eyes did not leave his brother. The room grew silent and still. They didn't notice Lorenzo enter the kitchen.

Flavio scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "Fratell—"

Luciano tightened his grip and pulled his brother's hand forward so that the knife poked his chest uncomfortably. His eyes still did not leave his brother's. He let the room fill with silence again before breaking it. "You'd kill your own brother?" he asked. "To protect _that _bastard?"

"Luc—"

"You'll tell Nonno what? That you let a _Spaniard_ infiltrate our home?"

Flavio bit his lip, tears welling up in his eyes. "N-no…"

"Then _what?_" Luciano growled. His wrist was suddenly grabbed, turning his glare away from his brother. He looked up to see a scowling Alejandro….a _pissed_ Alejandro. The grip on his wrist tightened, and he nearly felt like it was cracking. He was forced to release Flavio, hearing the knife clank to the floor as his brother stepped back to rub his pained hand.

"_Get out."_ Alejandro was nothing but serious.

Luciano squinted up at him. "It's _my _damn house." He glared, but the Spaniard's blank anger did not falter one bit. He was being _very_ serious. And Alejandro was not someone he could win a fight against like that. And as much as he hated it, Luci was fully aware of that fact. Instead, he frowned angrily and yanked his arm free, glaring at the both of them. "I fucking hate you," he whispered under his breath as he passed his brother. He didn't even acknowledge his younger brother as he headed for the front door, quickly slipping on his shoes and leaving.

As the door slammed shut, Flavio broke down and turned his face into Alejandro's chest, wrapping his arms around him.

"What now?" Andres asked calmly.

"He…H-he said he hates me…" he cried. "Luci…Luci hates meeeeeeeeeee," he bawled, tears soaking the other's shirt.

Alejandro's jaw clenched, and he rested a hand on the back of Flavio's head, holding him protectively like he had in the Italian's younger days. He didn't bother saying anything. He didn't need to. Flavio just needed to know that he was there and that he cared. It didn't matter if he understood the Italian's tears or not. He looked up and saw Lorenzo standing in the doorway, looking as if he might cry himself. Alejandro sighed. It was going to be a long day.

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**Well, that went a bit differently than expected. Oh well. Nonetheless. Luci's totally serious about his cappuccinos.**

**Anyway thanks for reading &amp; **_**please review~!**_


	11. Mi Dispiace

**Thank you **_**Cocoaflower, Moonstar Daughter of Hades, The Forgotten Traveller, **_**and**_** sjsjtd2007**_** for reviewing last chapter!**

* * *

It was quiet walking around the streets. Of course, cars were zooming by, and lights were flaring….but it was that nice city quiet. There was a thought at the back of his mind that everything around him held no relevance. Everything passed by with no real acknowledgment of his existence. It was peaceful.

Luciano slung his arms over the railing on the bridge and looked out over the water. The sparkling lights off the surface had some way of relaxing him. He'd spent all day roaming the city. It was something he wished he could do more often. Though, really…he shouldn't be doing it now. He'd left home early in the morning….and stayed out to avoid his brother and that damn Spaniard. Even now, he didn't want to go back. But he knew he'd have to get work done at some point.

His stomach rumbled, reminding him again that he'd forgotten his wallet at home.

He sighed and slid his arms off the rail, standing straight as he gazed over the tranquil water. He took it in one last time before turning away and heading home.

It was another hour or so later that he finally stood on his own door step. He just stood there, listening to the sounds of the city one last time before going inside. He unlocked the door and closed it behind him, hit with the sudden silence of his home. He slipped off his shoes and followed the wall in the darkness, heading for his bedroom. He halted at the muffled sound of a voice. His eyes shifted down to the crack of light under his brother's door, realizing the other was still up. He frowned and began to sneak past, hoping not to be heard.

"_He said he hated me."_

Luciano stopped in his tracks and scrunched his eyebrows together. A sick curiosity was screaming at him to listen in on the conversation.

"No, _Lutz_. You should have seen him today! No, he didn't _break _anything, but he was being _so mean_ to Andres for _no reason!_" Flavio flailed. "Aren't brothers supposed to support each other?"

There was a pause, and Luciano knew it must have been Lutz speaking through the phone now. He cast his eyes downward, waiting for his brother to continue so he could get some idea of what his friend might be saying.

"No, no! But you should have seen him. He was acting like _I'm_ the bad guy. Like, Andres is my _boyfriend._ Just because you don't understand love doesn't mean you should take it away from others. You know? Ugh," Flavio grumbled. "Sometimes I wish we can go back to when North and South were separate. I swear, it would be _so_oo much easier that way. I mean, what does he…"

Luciano stepped back at that point. He knew he shouldn't have eavesdropped, but he had anyway. He wasn't sure exactly how he felt after hearing what his brother had to say…but he could already feel himself getting worked up. He backed up into the wall on the other side of the hallway, taking deep breaths to calm himself before his anger could get the best of him. He was shaking. And he was _pissed._ Yet he could feel his eyes become watery.

He refused to give in to such emotion.

Quickly, he headed straight to his room and locked the door behind him, leaning against it. His breathing was becoming ragged, and he felt his blood boiling. He replaced the threatening tears with anger, taking a breath and clenching his shaking fists. He turned and punched the wall, kicked his bed, smashed things, threw things, and tore things to shreds. And in the end, he slid down the wall and brought his knees to his chest, biting his own arm to keep himself from screaming out loud. Every time he felt his tears threaten to fall, he bit harder. He used anger to control his pain; to control himself. It took some time before he felt his boiling blood settle back down, and his emotions were replaced with a distilled emptiness.

He frowned and glanced around the room he had destroyed. Everything was chaotic from his rampage. He was surprised his brothers hadn't heard anything. Or maybe they had and didn't bother to check. Either way, it didn't matter. He was glad they hadn't come. But still…

A shimmer of light caught his eye, and he looked over to see his knife embedded in his dresser. He sighed disappointingly and yanked it from its spot, fiddling with it in his hands. The light from his bedroom window reflected off of it and somehow calmed him. His eyes felt heavy, and he began to rub his thumb along the smooth side of the blade, running it across the old inscription. "_Validus."_

He paused and stared at the word his grandfather had written there. This knife…described everything the elder had been. And yet it was so unfitting for himself. "Mi dispiace…._Nonno._" He clenched the knife harder, not caring if it cut into his hand a bit. "I didn't turn out as great as you wished."

* * *

**I was going to wait a bit before posting this chapter, but then I thought what the hell. Sorry this one was written rather quickly, so it's a bit short and stuff. I hope it was still an interesting read though, even if it may have made you a bit sad. ;) **

**Also, please don't hate Flavio. He's not **_**really **_**a bad person. He's just…..you know. Anyway, I'll try to redeem him in the future. And also, I just wanna say that there will be a ****special guest character**** next chapter! **

**Anyway thanks for reading &amp; **_**please review~!**_


	12. Mirror Accident

**Thank you **_**CloudCarnivore, kumquat42, otakutammy, Moonstar Daughter of Hades, **_**and **_**HoneyBadgerGal**_** for reviewing! And, uh…..**_**GuardianGirl24 (whom I'm pretty sure is a bot but whatever).**_

* * *

Luciano's eyes snapped open. He sat up in an instant, the strangest feeling tingling over his skin. He glanced around his room, cluttered with broken and misplaced objects from his tantrum. He frowned. Why was his room so cold?

Slowly, he slid his legs over the side of his bed. He flinched as his feet hit the cold floor. The hairs on his neck and arms were standing on end, and he could already feel the goosebumps on his skin.

Why did he have such a strange feeling?

He made his way to the personal bathroom in his room and climbed in the shower, trying to relax whatever this was. The steaming water seemed to calm his nerves, but the feeling still hadn't gone away. When he stepped out, he wrapped a towel around his waist and wiped the steam from the mirror, looking into his own shaken eyes. Suddenly, he jumped back. He could have sworn the mirror had changed, only for a split second. He blinked and ran a hand through his wet hair, sighing. He must be going crazy.

He got dressed and headed down to the kitchen, still a bit weary.

Flavio munched on a muffin, quietly eating breakfast with his youngest brother. But he couldn't help worrying about Luciano. It was unusual for them both to be up before him. And he hadn't seen him since the argument with his boyfriend. He hadn't even been working in his office. But then, a sudden presence made him perk up. "Luci!" he exclaimed in surprise. "Where have you been?"

Luciano paused and took a sideways glance at his brother. He frowned and turned toward the fridge, looking inside without a word.

"You're not….still mad at me, are you?" the blond asked, swallowing nervously.

Luciano didn't answer. His mind was distracted by this strange feeling. He didn't know what to think of it.

"Are you ignoring me?"

He closed the fridge and turned to leave the room, not bothering to acknowledge the two at the table.

"Hey!" Flavio pouted, running up to stop him from leaving. He grabbed Luci's arm and gave him a look. "You're just going to ignore me now? Why don't you eat with us? I know you didn't take your wallet yesterday."

Luciano frowned and glared, half-heartily trying to yank himself free.

"Look, I'm sorry you had to leave yesterday, but shunning me isn't going to make things better," Flavio scolded. "Now stop acting like a child."

"Tsk." Luci growled and yanked his arm back, but his brother only fought not to let go.

"Can you—not be violent—for once—" Flavio said through gritted teeth as he struggled to keep hold of Luci's arm. He huffed and suddenly gave out, letting go and sending his brother backwards….and straight into the full-length mirror in the entryway.

It happened rather suddenly. One moment, he was going backwards, and the next, he was slamming into the ground of an unknown room. He had only heard the beginning of his brothers' screams, and now he heard two others rather clearly.

"_Chigiiiiiii!_"

"_V-v-v-v-veeeee_. F-fratello, who is that?"

"I-I don't know," the deeper voice squeaked. "H-hey, bastardo! W-who are you?!" it shouted with false courage.

Luciano sat up and held his head, opening his eyes. He looked around the foreign room, wondering what the hell had happened. He was confused, but at least he didn't have that odd feeling anymore.

"Are you gonna answer or not?!"

He turned his head to speaker, glaring at the strangers. Both of them jumped and cried out in fear. He gave them an irritated look, scowling. "Where the hell am I?" He frowned suddenly, noticing something off. Quietly, he got to his feet and approached the older Italian, inspecting him closely. His eyes pierced the other, examining his face. Luci's eyes widened in realization, and he took a step back. "Who the hell are you? What is this?!" He glanced between the two of them, eyes now landing on the younger one. He looked almost disgusted, if not horrified. "What is going on?"

* * *

"V-ve….Romano, I'm gonna g-go hang out with Germany now," Feliciano whispered to his brother, glancing up at his mirror self. It'd taken the three of them nearly two hours to discover that they were from alternate universes. And it was very obvious, if not uncomfortable, that the other Northern Italy was much darker and more threatening than their own.

"D-don't leave me, bastardo!" Lovino hissed quietly, grabbing hold of his brother's arm. "Don't you fucking leave me with this lunatic! Veneziano!"

Feliciano looked panicked, glancing back and forth between his brother and the scary stranger. He whimpered and shook his head vigorously, running from the room and out of the house before he could be stopped.

Lovino screamed. "Venezianooo!" He froze, looking over at the rather-bored counterpart of his brother. He cleared his throat, trying to seem tough, though he was quite obviously shaking in his seat.

Luci gave him a questioning look, resting his chin in his hand and his elbow on the table. He drummed his fingers against the wood, waiting for the other to do something.

"D-don't—Don't look at me like that!" Lovino stuttered, raising his voice as his confidence built up. "W-why are you here?!"

Luciano raised a brow. It was one thing to see his own counterpart, but comparing this guy to his brother was just….weird. This one was definitely a lot more rambunctious, but that loud mouth was starting to piss him off.

"Hey, answer me, you—"

"Why don't you shut up," Luciano hissed venomously.

Lovino quickly snapped his mouth closed and began shaking like a leaf. He bit his lip and slid his chair back, scooting as far back as the walls would let him. He watched, terrified, as the other Veneziano sent him a weak glare. But he let out a quiet sigh of relief when Luciano slumped against the table, head resting in his folded arms. Lovi blinked, not sure if he should speak yet. But minutes passed by, and still, nothing had happened. He was starting to think Luciano had fallen asleep. Cautiously, he let his curiosity take over and approached the other, gulping when he got closer. He reached out but withdrew his hand as he noticed the other's arms fold in tighter, almost as if they were protecting him. "U-um—"

Luciano's eyes shot up, startling Lovino. He glared for a few seconds, though it was interrupted by an intense stomach growl. He scowled, almost flinching in pain, and sighed outwardly, burying his face in his arms once more.

Lovino cleared his throat. "S-so, uh….Do you want something to eat….? Or…something….?"

Luci shifted awkwardly and looked up, furrowing his eyebrows. "And how would I know it's not poisoned?"

"_Cosa?"_ Lovino asked, insulted. "I might not be as good a cook as Feliciano, but I'm not English, damn it!" He sneered and turned toward the cabinets, rummaging through them until he'd found what he needed. He then started going through the kitchen and grabbing necessary ingredients and spices. He didn't bother explaining as he began pressing dough onto the counter, kneading it into one large clump. Luciano watched him from behind, still sitting at the table. He'd seen Flavio make pizza dozens of times, and he'd made it himself as well, but yet it was somehow fascinating to watch this half-stranger. Lovino was very into his baking and seemed to have forgotten that he was being watched. He started humming some tune and even swaying slightly as he carved out the shape of the pizza and carefully placed the toppings. When he'd finished, he gently shoved it in the oven and closed the door, still humming and moving about. And then he turned around and squeaked, noticing his guest. "C-c-_chigiii_—How long have you been watching me, you creep?!"

Luciano raised a brow in amusement. "I've seen worse."

"Y-you saw nothing!"

Luci sighed. "Calm down. I have no reason to hold anything against you."

Lovino tilted his head cautiously, studying the other Italian for any visible lies. All he got was a blank, annoyed expression.

"I'm not lying," Luci stated, as if he had read the other's mind.

Lovi gulped. "Y-yeah, but you'll probably change your mind anyway, jerk!" He crossed his arms and plopped down in the seat across from Luciano, opting to have a staring contest. He didn't want to let down his guard again.

Luci gave him a look of mild confusion, and his mind began to stir. If they were opposites….then would that mean that _this_ Romano was the half of Italy that nobody liked? He began to ponder. His own brother swore but not nearly as much as this one. No, this one had….a temper. Like himself. "Hey," he said causing Lovino to jump a little.

"W-what is it, bastardo?"

Luciano leaned forward on the table, examining his brother's counterpart. They looked the same, yet _very_ different. "Hey…..your brother….is he better than you at everything?"

Lovino scoffed but looked visibly upset. "No! Why would you even say that?! Y-you bastard…"

So his thoughts were correct. It was the same situation as between he and Flavio; just the other way around. Luci leaned against the back of his seat, relaxing. His eyes held something of sympathy. "Everyone likes him more? That…_other_ Veneziano. Feliciano, right?"

The elder Italian shifted in his seat, looking downcast. "So what if they do? I don't give a shit."

"But that's what they think…." Luci realized quietly. Lovino looked up at him curiously, and he continued. "They think you don't care," he clarified. "But you do. You're just….not good at showing it."

Lovi was taken aback. "You—W-what do you know, huh?! You don't even know m—"

"_No_. I don't."

"Then why—"

"Because it's the same."

"Cosa…?"

Luciano sighed at the other's cluelessness. "Everybody likes my brother better, and they think I hate them, so they assume I don't care," he explained. "That's all."

Lovino furrowed his eyebrows together. "But….I mean, you hate me already, don't you? Y-you've been glaring this whole time and—"

Luci sighed again. "That's just my face."

"Wha..? B-but you were all angry a-and telling me to shut up!"

"Because you were cursing me out for no reason."

"O-oh." Lovino gulped, sitting awkwardly, unsure what to say. They sat in silence for a while, until the timer buzzed, signaling that the pizza had finished baking. He stood and turned the annoying sound off, grabbing some mitts to pull the pizza tray out. He placed it on a cooling rack on the counter and turned the oven off, then going to search for the pizza cutter. He rummaged for a good five minutes before Luciano appeared by his side, grudgingly searching as well. Lovi glanced over from the corner of his eye. "S-sorry," he apologized quickly. Even with the pressure of some hungry half-stranger in his house, he couldn't do anything right.

"It's whatever," Luciano shrugged and continued searching. Ten minutes later, they decided to give up. The pizza was cool enough by now for them to pull it apart with their hands. And Luci wasted no time doing so.

"Man. You….must have been pretty hungry," Lovino stated, watching the red-eyed Italian go through several slices of pizza in under two minutes. "When's the last time you ate?" Luciano shrugged and continued eating, his mind seemingly elsewhere. Lovino stared at him for a long while, realizing the other was a bit out of it. He didn't ask while they were eating but instead, opted to clean their dishes after Luci had picked up the last piece. He oddly didn't feel so scared of this strange version of his brother anymore. Something about him was…familiar. "So, uh….how exactly did you get here?" he asked after a long silence, trying to start conversation.

Luciano rolled his shoulders and stretched. "Not really sure. My fratello kind of pushed me through a mirror, I think. I don't really get why it didn't just break though."

Lovi frowned. "Your brother pushed you into a mirror?"

"I'm pretty sure it was an accident…He wouldn't risk staining the floor."

Lovino gulped. "You…..You don't really get along well, do you?"

Luci sighed. "That's an understatement." He crossed his arms and thought for a bit. "I take it it's the same with you two. You and that…._Felicano_."

"W-well, we're not really violent about it, at least….We just…..He just…I'm just not enjoyable company, okay?" Lovino's shoulders slumped, and his eyes were fixated on the sink as he filled it with soapy water. "Anyway, you should probably figure out a way to get home….to wherever you're from. I doubt our world wants another Italian. I-I mean, not that we don't want you," he panicked, glancing back quickly to see the utterly un-caring expression of the other's. "I-It's just that there are already three of us. Anyway, you should go home. Your fratello is probably worried about you, so…"

Luciano shrugged. "I doubt that, but I'm not really sure how I got here to begin with."

"W-well…..you came through the mirror above our mantle place, so…."

"Oh?" Luci suddenly stood up and made his way out of the room, heading back to where he had first met the alternate Italian brothers. "So all I have to do is go back through that thing?" he asked, eyes focused on the mirror. He wasn't even sure how he could get up that high. Or if it would even work.

"I guess," Lovino answered, standing beside him. "…You going home then?"

"I suppose."

"Oh. Well then…bye, I guess," Lovi muttered. "You, ah….You can come back whenever, if you want…..You're not as scary as your first impression...and you're a lot more tolerable than Feli, so….."

Luciano let a ghost of a smile reach his face. "Grazie," he said and turned toward the mirror, climbing up on a chair so he could reach it. He turned and looked at his brother's counterpart. "And trust me, you're a lot better than Flavio," he stated and placed his hand on the glass, feeling an odd gel-like sensation as it pushed through to the other world. "I'll see you around, fratellone," he said and waved one last time before lifting himself and climbing through it completely.

He growled out onto the floor, in the same room he had been arguing with his brother. It was eerily dark and quiet….almost as if someone had died. Slowly, he got to his feet, looking back at the mirror once more. It was still a little difficult believing that he had gone to another universe, but he didn't regret it. He had….grown a little fond of his alternate brother. He could see himself in the other. And he honestly hoped, at least a bit, that he really would see Lovino again.

"Luci…?"

Luciano turned and noticed that his brother had appeared in the doorway, looking as if he might cry. "The hell were you doing, pushing me into a mirror?" he joked, though it sounded more like he was scolding his brother.

"_L-L-Luuuciiiiiiii_~!" Flavio cried and bounded forward, crushing the younger Italian with an unsuspected hug. "I-I thought," he sobbed, "I thought you were gone! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to—It was an accident!"

"Mio dio, shut up," Luci said, lightly pushing his brother off. "I'm fine," he stated, gesturing to his whole self. "Just….got stuck in some strange nothingness for a while. Finally got some peace and quiet. No big deal," he lied. "I'm going to work," he said, turning to head toward his office.

Flavio sniffled and dabbed his eyes dry with a handkerchief. "Alright," he sighed. "But could you stop by Lorenzo's room and let him know you're alright? Boy cried himself to sleep…" he said with a small sincere laugh.

"Yeah," Luci said, hiding a smile. "I'm sure you were too," he joked and headed off. "Night."

"Night, Luc." Flavio smiled as he watched his brother go, wiping the last of his tears away.

* * *

**This chapter didn't exactly go as planned, but I honestly don't care anymore. Sorry it took forever to update. And that this is probably really lame. Eh….whatever….**

**Anyway thanks for reading &amp; ****please review~!**


	13. Riposo

**Thank you **_**JustALittleBroken, WinterSpark, madders10, kumquat42, Rin kagamine, FaithfulFriend2499, topaz23, **_**and**_** CloudCarnivore **_**for reviewing!**

* * *

Flavio awoke late in the morning and trekked down to the kitchen in his silk robe, stifling a yawn as he opened the refrigerator. He frowned as he noted the lack of milk, wondering if he should have gone to buy some while his brother was away. He certainly didn't want to meet an angry Luciano this morning. Speaking of which….it seemed a little too quiet. He surely would have heard the other Italian's rant about still not having his cappuccino, right?

Concerned, the blond strode out of the room and down the hall to his brother's office. He forced the door open just enough for him to peer over at the desk, where he could see Luciano's figure slumping over a pile of paperwork, hand slowly gliding a pen across the paper in rigged strokes. Flavio frowned and cleared his throat, causing the other to pause briefly as his presence became known. He pushed the door further open and walked over to the desk, noting how unusually chaotic everything was.

"What?" Luciano asked tiredly, with an edge to his voice.

Flavio frowned more and crouched at the side of the desk, looking up at his brother. "You're still up?"

"Well no work got done in the _past two_ days."

"Yes, but….." Flavio paused, noticing the bags under his fratello's eyes. "Why don't you go to bed? No reason to do it all at once."

"I have to turn it in tomorrow. There's no time for that."

"Luci, I can tell you're exhausted—"

"Does it matter?"

Flavio sighed. "I'm worried. You shouldn't—"

"Then maybe you should do some fucking work for once!" Luciano growled, slamming a fist off the desk. "Out. Now." He pointed his pen toward the door, glaring harshly at the older Italian.

"A-alright, I'll go," Flavio stated, feeling defeated. "But please at least take a break, fratello. I'm going to the store real quick, but I'll make you a nice cappuccino when I get back, okay?" He hesitated, and his brother simply turned back to the desk.

"Just go."

Flavio nodded, though it was unseen by the other, and left the room promptly. In the back of his mind, he was kicking himself for not having done any of the work while Luciano had been unavailable to do it….Now his brother was over-working himself and grumpier than ever. "How was I supposed to know it has to be turned in tomorrow?" he muttered to himself, making an excuse for why he hadn't done the work instead. He sighed. "Whatever. He'll be at least a little less angry if I get him that stupid cappuccino," he concluded aloud and quickly dressed himself, checking his reflection a few times before finally deciding he was decent enough for public.

It didn't take him long to walk to the nearest grocery store. He quickly grabbed the milk he needed but hesitated before heading up to the counter. He should probably get something for breakfast as well….Even though he knew Luciano wasn't one for morning food, he knew Lorenzo would be hungry at the very least. So he took the time to grab a few things. Maybe he could make a broccolini frittata for brunch? All three of them liked that…

He nodded at the thought and shopped around for everything he needed. It took him a good twenty minutes just to find everything and get through the checkout line. He regretted not having taken the car, even though the store was only a few blocks from their house. He hadn't anticipated getting so many groceries. When he finally got home, his arms were relieved to set everything down. He sat down and groaned, leaning back in the chair. He really didn't feel like making anything now. Pulling out his phone, he glanced at the time and sighed. It was almost noon already. He'd taken long enough already. Begrudgingly, he pushed himself up and got everything out to make his brother's cappuccino. He hesitated, staring at the ingredients. "Luci, how do you like your cappuccinos?" he called through the house. No answer. Flavio tsked and headed out of the kitchen and toward the office. "Luci, why don't you answer-" he asked again as he skidded the door open. He froze, heart stopping at the sight. _"Luciano?!"_

Flavio rushed toward his brother's unconscious body, lying on the floor. He kneeled down, shaking the other's shoulder in desperation, trying to wake him. "Luci, wake up! _Luciano!"_ He bit his lip and felt tears rolling down his cheeks as he noticed the other's eyes twitch open. Flav smiled, trying to keep himself from crying. "Luci…Oh, thank God," he exclaimed with a hand over his heart.

"Che cosa….?" Luciano moaned in tired confusion, sitting up on the floor. He tiredly glanced around, pondering what was going on. He reached up and rubbed his eye with the back of his hand. "Why the hell am I….?"

"You must have passed out," Flavio explained, helping him up. "See, I told you. You need rest, fratello. You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Luciano groaned, rolling his eyes. "I'm fine."

"No," the elder brother countered. "You're not. Now go and take a riposo," he demanded, ushering Luci out of the office. "Please."

Luciano sighed. "Bene, va bene…" he yawned, nudging his brother off of him. "If it'll get you to shut up," he mumbled and headed toward his room to get some sleep.

Flavio slumped against the wall, sighing as he rubbed his eyes dry. He hesitated and stared into the office for a moment before finally heading back to the kitchen, deciding he should put the groceries away before anything else. After doing so, he began preparing lunch. Lorenzo came down just in time for it to be finished.

"What's the deal?" the teen yawned. "Why didn't you wake me up for breakfast?"

The elder smiled. "Sorry, Lorry. I didn't make breakfast this morning, but how about a tasty brunch?" he said, handing him a plate of frittata.

The boy's eyes gleamed. "Aw man! You haven't made this in forever!" he exclaimed and took the plate from his hands. "Thanks, Flavi~!"

Flavio nodded, smiling. "Oh!" he remembered. "Before you sit down, could you take this up to Luci's room?" He held out another plate of food. "He went to bed a little while ago and didn't eat anything."

Lorenzo took the plate curiously. "He's sleeping in the middle of the day?"

"Si," Flavio sighed. "He overworked himself and passed out."

"What?" the micronation asked, a bit of alarm in his voice. "I-is he alright?"

"He'll be fine," the elder said, ruffling his hair. "Just make sure he eats and goes straight back to bed."

Lorenzo nodded and promptly carried the plate to his brother's room. He knocked on the door, knowing Luci's rule that no one was allowed in his room without permission. He was almost afraid to open the door, having not received an answer. Cautiously, he turned the handle, finding it unlocked. Peaking in, he could see his brother's sleeping figure. The teen gulped and creaked the door open just a little more. He quietly made his way over to the bed, nervously looking around. "L-Luci," he said, gently shaking him awake. "H-hey, fratellone made you lunch. It's broccolini frittata," he said, placing the plate of food on the small bed stand. "D-do you want something to drink?"

Luciano shifted. "No, that's fine. Thanks.." he grumbled.

"O-okay. Flav says to eat and get some sleep, so…"

"Okay, okay," Luci said, waving a hand to get the other to leave.

"A-alright. Good night," Lorenzo said and left quickly, being sure to close the door behind him.

Luciano waited until he heard the door click shut before he turned toward food. He sat up against the wall and placed the plate in his lap, slowly savoring the flavor. At least his brother was useful for cooking. He hesitated, leaving the fork in his mouth after taking a bite. He really hated to be pitied. It made him feel weak…..reminded him of how he felt. He sighed, finishing the plate and wrapping himself in a blanket. At this rate, he'd 'ever get his work done…Exhaustively, he got to his feet and carried his plate down to the kitchen, placing it in the sink. He pulled the blanket close, eyeing the unusually quiet room. Slowly, he made his way back to the office. Noticing that the door had been left open part-way, he peeked inside.

"Ah," Flavio exclaimed in a whisper, quickly inspecting his finger. "Stupid paper cuts," he whined to himself, shaking his hand before picking up a pen and getting to work.

"You should be sleeping," a voice spoke from behind Luciano, causing him to jump slightly. He turned to see his fratellino smiling at him. "Flavi will take care of the work. Go get some rest."

Luciano's eyes softened, and he allowed the slightest smile to reach his lips. "Alright, alright. You two are so demanding today," he joked and ruffled Lorenzo's hair as he walked by.

"Hey, mind if I join your riposo, Luc?" Lorenzo asked, following his elder sibling.

"Didn't you sleep all day?" Luciano asked, amused.

"I'm a growing boy," the teen replied with a small laugh.

"Sure, sure," Luci laughed. He decided not to comment on the fact that nations grow differently than humans. He knew his fratellino only wanted to spend quality time with him, and what's better than a relaxing nap? "Go grab your pillows," he said and motioned him to go on.

"Yes~!" Lorenzo sprinted ahead, beaming with joy.

* * *

**Apologies for taking so long on this chapter…I worked every day for over a week, had to get my computer fixed after that, then had to pack and move back to school, deal with schoolwork and projects…..and yeah, I just haven't had the time or motivation to write this. I honestly didn't even realize it had been this long since I updated. Sorry, guys! And, well…..now I'm back at college, so I certainly can't promise quick updates, but I'll do my best!**

**Anyway thanks for reading &amp; ****please review~!**


	14. Treehouse

**So it's been basically a year since I've updated this…To be honest, I fell out of the Hetalia fandom, and while I still love the characters to death (especially 2p), I just couldn't find the motivation to write for the longest time. Between college, work, and just not feeling motivated, this ended up on hiatus for much longer than intended…I really am sorry about that.**

**Thank you **_**ExistentialCrisisMaster, The Forgotten Traveller, Lovesbugsalot, LoonyGirl18893, madders10, Guest, Rin Kagamine, SilverStarJones, FallenwaterTheFallen, **_**and **_**Crimson cat angel **_**for reviewing last chapter! I hope you're still around to continue reading!**

* * *

A knock sounded at the door, startling Luciano awake. He sighed and lifted a hand to rub his eyes, rolling onto his back so he could sit up. The knock sounded again, and he groaned, making his way to the front door. Begrudgingly, he opened it a crack and peered through, greeted with a toothy grin.

"Hey, Luc," the American said with a small wave.

Luciano gave him a deadpan stare. "Flavio isn't here. Go home," he stated, about to close the door.

"Ah—Actually," Allen laughed, catching the door. "I'm not here for Flavio. I, ah…I thought maybe _we _could hang out? I heard you kinda overworked yourself, so uh….I thought…maybe...you could use a little break." He shrugged gracelessly and offered an awkward smirk.

The Italian slumped and opened the door wide enough to reveal himself fully. He had a puzzled expression, as if contemplating the motive behind the other's offer.

"Look, I'm not gonna force you or anything." The American shrugged. "But I thought you might like to get out for a bit, you know? I, uh…..I know Lutz is usually your go-to guy, but uh….." He paused, rubbing the back of his neck. "You know. I promise I won't be too much of a pain," he finished and looked up, hopeful.

Luciano stared down at him for a moment, then sighed, stepping back to let the other in. "You better not be," he said and retreated to get dressed.

Allen grinned ear to ear. "Awesome! You won't regret it!"

* * *

"I regret this."

"Aw, come on," Allen laughed, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "It'll be great when it's finished."

Luciano sighed. "I can't believe you dragged me all the way here to help build a freaking treehouse." He plopped down on a log and tossed his work gloves on the ground. "I thought I was supposed to get a break from working, and now I'm doing this? Why the hell do you even need this?!"

"For us to hang out in," he chuckled and smiled radiantly.

Luci blushed. "We don't even hang out!"

"Doesn't mean we can't."

"What makes you think I'll have the time _–or energy-_ to come all the way to the middle of fucking nowhere America just to hang out in some secluded treehouse?!"

The American laughed and shrugged, picking up some large planks of wood. "I just thought it'd be nice to have a place to go when family gets on your nerves, you know? Matt and Ollie are always showing up at my house, and it's not like I hate them or anything, but it's just nice to get away every once in a while…" He drifted off, frowning. "Oh— And I'm sure it's the same for you, right? With you and Flavio being at each other's necks all the time." He began nailing into the wood, tongue sticking from the corner of his mouth as he concentrated.

Luciano sighed and went back to what he was doing. "You expect me to travel half way across the world just to get away from that asshole?

"You saying you wouldn't?"

"No. Fuck him."

Allen chuckled. "Well he's definitely not the type to go hiking in the woods, so I don't think you'd have to worry about him finding you here. Or anyone. I mean, Matt'll probably sniff this place out eventually. He's weird like that. But I doubt anyone else would bother."

"The Canadian is the least of my concerns," Luciano frowned. "What are we even supposed to do here?" he asked as he fit a pane of glass into the cut window. "Just sit and bitch about our problems?"

"We could. Or," Allen continued, moving onto the roof to add shingles. "We could just chill out and relax."

"I didn't think relaxing was something you Americans did."

"Coming from you of all people," Allen laughed, but it died down quickly. "Sorry. You really should take breaks every once in a while, you know?"

"I know," Luci agreed irritably.

"Honestly….." Allen grew quiet and slowed in his working. "I was really worried when Flav told us you collapsed like that. That's…..scary, you know?"

"Did he tell everyone?" Luciano grunted. "Figures."

"He was worried about you."

"So he tells the whole fucking world. Literally." He was angry, for sure. His brother had probably been using it as gossip, or maybe even to brag about how _nice_ he was for doing the rest of the work. Now everyone probably saw Luciano as weak. Fuckers.

"I'm being real here," the American interrupted his thoughts. "I know you guys don't get along much, but he really does care about you. It's like me and Matt," he added. "We fight all the time. Violently. But…I know if it really came down to it, he'd totally be by my side. I'm sure it's the same for you guys."

"The Canadian is the nicest guy in the world. It's not really fair to compare him to my mess of a fratello."

Allen burst out laughing. "Are you kidding? Matt's an asshole!"

Luciano wasn't really getting it.

"I mean, sure, Matt's nice to everyone else. But that doesn't make him any less of an ass to me. All we ever do is fight," he smiled. "But I love him, you know? Don't tell him I said that."

Luci huffed a laugh. "Sure, I won't. Now shut up and finish this stupid treehouse," he demanded, though his tone was surprisingly friendly.

* * *

"What now?" Luciano stated, crossing his arms while he stared at the finished treehouse from the ground.

"Baseball?" Allen suggested, holding up a bat and tossing a ball to Luci, whom fumbled to catch it.

"In the middle of the woods?"

"Why not," the American shrugged and posed to hit the ball. "Come on, pitch for me?"

Rolling his eyes, Luciano gave in. "Whatever. Just don't fucking hit me."

"Come oooon, I'm a professional," Allen smirked.

"Alright," Luci said boredly and threw with all his tiny might. Allen yelped and swung fiercely, closing his eyes on impact.

A crash.

"You fucking idiot!" Luciano shouted.

"Wha—" Allen opened his eyes and blinked. He looked at the angry Italian and then up at the treehouse. Great.

"You know how fucking long it took me to put that window in?!" the Italian continued, tossing his arms in the air. "I can't fucking believe this. Professional, my fucking ass."

Allen growled and smashed the bat into their pile of leftover building materials. "Damn it! I know! I'm sorry," he apologized and let the bat hang to the ground. "I fucked up. I'll fix it."

Luciano calmed down. "Whatever, but don't go breaking even more shit."

"Oh," he responded and looked at the mess he'd made. He lifted his bat and saw that a few nails had imbedded themselves in it. He blinked. "Hey, I have an idea."

"Oh no."

"No, seriously. Look," he said and held up the bat, pointing to it. "I can make a really badass weapon if I nail more into it. Like a spiked mace or somethin'."

"Are you always this air-headed?" Luci asked curiously.

"Huh?"

"You have the attention span of a squirrel."

"Hey now. I'm just trying to lighten the mood."

Luciano sighed. "Alright, fine. Make your stupid spiked bat. Don't hurt yourself."

"Aw, you worried about me?"

"I will castrate you."

"You're adorable," Allen laughed.

"_Che cosa?_ You want to fucking die?"

"Not really," Allen smiled. "Come on, help me out here."

Luciano mumbled to himself before crouching down to help. "Whatever, but let's get something to eat after this. I'm fucking starving."

* * *

**Again, I'm so sorry it's been such a long time since I've updated. Apologies if this chapter feels really different from the others. It's been a while since I wrote for it, so…yeah. I hope I can get back into the groove of it soon.**

**Anyway thanks for reading again &amp; ****please review~!**


	15. Make a Man Happy

**This chapter involves harassment and references to sex, so if you're uncomfortable with that, feel free to skip!**

**Thank you **_**The Forgotten Traveller, Tarlockean-and-Proud, HAckeR741, FallenwaterTheFallen, CloudCarnivore, Rim Kagamine, **_**and **_**Wessssssssst **_**for reviewing last chapter!**

* * *

"I can't believe you've never been skating," Alejandro mused, watching the struggling Italian latch onto him.

"I've never had the best—" Flavio squeaked when his slipped underneath him, tightening the grip on his boyfriend's coat so he wouldn't fall. "Balance," he finished, straightening himself as much as he could. "Andres, dear, as fun as this is, I think we should stop before I hurt myself."

"Fair enough." The Spaniard laughed lightly and wrapped an arm around Flavio's back, leading him to the gate of the rink. As soon as they were off the ice, Flavio trudged to their bench, untying the laces of his skates and slipping them off. He massaged his ankles a bit before pulling his boots out from under the bench, putting them on and sighing. Alejandro changed into his as well, and they went to return their skates. "I'm getting coffee," he stated. "Want anything?"

Flavio shook his head, leaning against the small ledge on the outside of the rink, smiling at a small child's tiny steps as they attempted to skate.

"Alright, I'll be back," Alejandro smirked and slapped the Italian on the ass.

Flavio gasped. "Andres Alejandro Fernandez Carriedo!" he yelled jokingly after his boyfriend. He shook his head, smiling.

"That's a mouthful," a stranger's voice tuned in.

Almost by instinct, Flavio instantly turned toward the stranger and grinned devilishly. "My mouth is always full, if you know what I mean."

"Oh yeah?" The stranger, seemingly a teenage boy, exchanged looks with a few of his friends before leaning in closer. "You could scream my name three times as much." He winked. "If you know what I mean."

Flavio pursed his lips, raising his eyebrows. "You're a bit young, honey."

The teen laughed. "All the more energy."

"Sorry, but I'm taken," Flavio sighed, turning his attention back to the ice skaters.

"Oh come on," the boy egged, his friends closing in around Flavio. "Why would a pretty boy like you want such an angry-looking asshole when you could have someone like me? We know how to party," he said, gesturing toward his friends.

Flavio's face scrunched in disbelief.

"Oh, come on. I can make a guy happy," the teen continued, grabbing Flavio by the arm.

"Don't touch me!" Flavio sneered, whipping his arm out of the boy's grip. He turned so his backside was against the rink's wall. "Why don't you kids go find your mothers," he spat. "I'm sure you won't have such rotten personalities in front of them."

One of the boy's friend's whistled dangerously. "Ronnie, he's a bit salty."

"We can sweeten him up," the original teen grinned. "Come on, babe," he said, reaching for Flavio's arm again."

"_Don't touch me!"_ Flavio practically roared, backing himself further against the wall. He eyed the boys maliciously. As a nation, he knew he could take them. But given the circumstance, he had to hope that security would take care of the situation.

The boy barred his teeth, snatching Flavio's arm. "Don't be such a bitch!" he growled, struggling to pull him away from the wall. "Come on, it won't be that ba— aAAHGGH!" the teen screamed, immediately releasing Flavio as his own arm was being crushed under a powerful grip. He looked up with tears in his eyes, Alejandro standing over him. He was released a moment later, pushed back a step as the nation let him go.

"Get lost," Alejandro demanded, his stern voice seeming to get the message across as the group of teenagers ran off. He immediately turned toward Flavio, who was now latched onto his arm and burying his face in the Spaniard's shoulder. He softened his voice. "You alright?"

Flavio nodded, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's torso. "Grazie."

Alejandro grunted a reply. "Let's go home."

"Yeah."

* * *

Flavio nudged their foreheads together as they lay down for bed. Their legs tangled together, and he had his arms tucked in between them.

He couldn't sleep.

It was stupid, he knew, to get worked up over what some horny teenagers had said. He was a nation. He'd lived through many wars; knew how to escape one's grasp and slit a throat. Yet because this was some random citizen, and a _child_ at that, he could do nothing.

And what they'd said about _his_ Alejandro. Oh, was he seething. But also very hurt.

It seemed as if no one could comprehend just how loving his Alejandro truly was. They always saw him as cruel and mean…..but really, that side of him was only true when he had to protect his loved ones. He was protective, loving, kind in his own way…Andres Alejandro Fernandez Carriedo was the absolute perfect man for Flavio. He didn't care what some jerks had to say, and yet they were so _wrong._

Flavio whimpered, curling further into his boyfriend's body.

He felt strong arms wrap around his back. It was warm.

"Next time someone bothers you, just shout for me right away," Alejandro mumbled in half-sleep.

Flavio smiled, finally relaxing as he began to run his hand over his boyfriend's chest. He breathed contently, snuggling close. A moment of silence passed. "Andres," he whispered.

"Hn?"

Flavio bit his lip, smiling again. "You really know how to make a man happy."

* * *

**This chapter is probably a bit short, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless!**

**Thanks for reading &amp; ****please review~!**


	16. In My Shoes

**Thank you **_**FallenwaterTheFallen, The Forgotten Traveller, West, Olivia Kirkland, **_**and **_**Guest **_**for reviewing last chapter!**

* * *

"Honestly, all you ever do is complain about work. If you hate it so much, then _don't do it!_" Flavio growled and stomped for emphasis.

Luciano glared back. "Then who is going to do it, when all _you_ seem to do is go on about fashion and romance? You don't even do anything important!"

The elder Italian scoffed. "If it's so unimportant, then try finding a house as perfect as this! Or clothes, huh? How about those?"

"I don't even wear the clothes you make me," Luci spat.

"Which is very upsetting, you ungrateful fratellino."

"Ungrateful is the one that makes his_ 'fratellino'_ do all the fucking work!"

Flavio scoffed again, flicking his wrist as he shifted his weight. "I can't believe this. What about the house work? I don't see you cooking breakfast or cleaning the house. What about that? Is that not _work_ enough for you?"

"You're comparing_ those_ minuscule things to hours of exhausting paperwork with deadlines?"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Flavio sighed. "You have no idea how exhausting it is for me."

"Bullshit. I'd like to see you hover over paperwork all day," Luciano argued, seething.

"Oh, boo hoo. You get to sit all day and pencil push, while_ I_ have to rush around doing all the laborious work. I don't want to hear it," Flavio said and turned away, holding his hand up to stop his brother from retorting. "If you really don't get it, then why don't _you_ go prepare dinner, and do the laundry, and clean the house, huh?"

"Doesn't sound like much of a fucking challenge."

"Oh ho ho, just you wait." Flavio turned back and squinted in anger, poking a finger at Luciano's chest. "You won't last a day in my shoes."

"On the contrary," Luciano sneered, "Good luck being a _pencil pusher_."

"I won't need luck for a job so simple," Flavio remarked and turned on his heel, striding down the hallway toward Luciano's office. He entered and moved to slam the door, but the bottom edge caught on the ground, resisting. "The hell," he wheezed while trying to pull it closed, "is wrong with this door?!"

"House isn't so perfect now, is it?" Luciano yelled down the hallway.

"Oh, shut up!" he screamed, kicking the door and giving up.

Luciano groaned after his brother had finally disappeared. He headed into the kitchen and started rummaging through the cabinets, searching for something to make for dinner. "The fuck does he even buy," he mumbled to himself, unsatisfied with what he was finding. However, his curiosity peeked when he saw a box at the back of the cabinet in the far corner. He pulled it out, staring at the label. "Boxed spaghetti…." he sighed. "Will have to do," he said to himself and stood reading the directions. "Easy enough." He got the noodles set up and started preparing the meat and sauce, adding in spices whenever he thought necessary. While that was cooking, he decided to move on.

Heading upstairs with a laundry basket, Luciano gathered his own dirty clothes and headed to Flavio's bathroom to do the same. Of course, the blond had two hampers filled to the brim with dirty clothes, one for whites and the other colors. _'Just how many clothes does one person need?!_' Luci thought. _'This is ridiculous.'_ He dumped the colors hamper into his basket, making is all the more painful to carry.

The next part of his job was the most difficult. _Lorenzo's room._

With a thump, he dropped the basket outside the micronation's door and reached for the handle. It was difficult to push open, as if something were blocking its way, but he eventually got it far enough that he could slip through.

It was a disaster.

He knew teenagers were bad, but this was making even _Luciano _cringe. He could only imagine every time Flavio walks into this room. Stuff was everywhere. He almost couldn't walk without stepping on something. Dirty clothes were in heaps and scattered about. There was junk everywhere. The bed was a mess of sheets and blankets. The pillows weren't even in place. Soda cans were littering the dresser. The drawers were hanging open. There was a hole in the wall from _god knows what_. The trash can was overflowing. And was that moldy pizza beside it?

Luciano twitched in disgust.

How has Flavio not killed this kid yet?

He shook the thoughts from his head and started picking clothes off the floor, resisting the urge to clean the rest. Piling them on top of the already heavy basket in the hall, he began the long descent to the laundry room, packing as much as he could into the washing machine. Once that was done, he went back to check on dinner, mixing the meat sauce while he was there. He then stood back and leaned against the counter, wondering what he could do while it continued to cook.

The room.

He had to clean that room.

There was no way around it, he decided, and gathered a bunch of cleaning supplies to carry upstairs. He squeezed his way through the door again and closed it behind him, looking around at the mess. This might take a while.

* * *

Flavio, on the other hand, was bored out of his mind. He'd only been doing this for what? Twenty minutes, maybe. Yet his brain already felt scrambled, and his eyes were burning from reading through so many documents. This was taking forever! And there were no breaks from it. No pretty pictures to look at. No interesting topics. Just the same old governmental crap that he'd been doing now for the past half hour. And he'd only gotten through a couple of pages.

It was driving him mad.

He let out a long and dreadful groan of frustration. "Screw this," he whined. "It's even more boring than usual." The last time he'd done governmental work, his brother had been exhausted and sick, and the work had been more writing than reading. He wasn't about this life.

'_I don't ever want to do this.'_ He thought. _'But then, I doubt Luciano does either…..No wonder he hardly has time to go out and have fun.'_

Flavio sighed, standing up from the desk. He just couldn't do this. While it was easy work, it was also tedious. He had to apologize to his brother. So he headed out of the room and into the kitchen. "Of course he's making spaghetti," he said aloud to himself. Seeing that it was done and his brother was nowhere in sight, he decided to turn it off and drain the noodles. When he finished with that, he turned and wondered where his brother could have gone. He looked around and found the laundry room empty. Looked more and figured he must be upstairs. "Luciano!" he called as he made his way upward. "Dinner is ready. Where the hell are you?" he asked and was startled when Lorenzo's bedroom door swung open.

"What?" Luci asked, standing in the doorway with a trash bag in hand.

Looking perplexed, Flavio pushed his way through and gasped.

He could see the floor.

The room smelled like flowers instead of rotten garbage.

Everything was neat and tidy. It was a miracle!

He began to tear up. "I've been afraid of coming in here for months," he cried. "I couldn't even step foot in here without gagging. Luci, you're a hero!" He promptly hugged the younger Italian. "Thank you so much!"

"It was disgusting," Luciano stated. "I was doing everyone a favor."

"Still," Flavio sniffed. "Oh, but dinner is finished. I got it ready for you."

"Oh. Thanks, I guess."

"Of course," Flavio smiled. "And I'm really not cut out for your kind of work, fratello. I'm sorry."

Luciano sighed. "I figured as much," he replied as they headed back down to the kitchen.

"Yes, but still I'm surprised you managed to clean—" Flavio stopped in his tracks, noticing the box in the garbage can. "Fratello…did you make spaghetti from a box….?"

Luciano shrugged. "It was less work."

"I'm sorry, less _what_?"

He sighed. "We didn't have anything else anyway. Go eat something else if you want."

Flavio shook his head. "Alright, alright. I haven't gone grocery shopping in a while anyhow. Should we call Lorenzo? He's been gone all day."

"Went to a friend's house."

"Ah," Flavio answered, setting the table for the two of them. "Well, he'll be in for a shocker when he comes home."

"I swear to god if he trashes that room again."

"We'll have to be adamant about it then," Flavio chuckled.

"Si. Teenagers are gross."

* * *

**So this is fairly different from what I had originally planned for this chapter. I was originally going to go for something a bit different and more humorous, but somehow it ended up being like this. Still, I hope you like it!**

**Thanks for reading &amp; ****please review~!**


	17. Advice

**Thank you **_**The Forgotten Traveller **_**and**_** Olivia Kirkland **_**for reviewing last chapter!**

* * *

"Um. Hey Luci, can I talk to you?" Lorenzo asked shyly from the doorway of his brother's office.

Luciano paused his work and half-turned in his seat. It was late, and the room was dimly lit by a single lamp near the desk, which illuminated his tired features. "What is it?" he sighed, setting his pen down and pushing his chair back. He stood, flicked off the lamp, and passed his brother in the doorway, heading for the kitchen. Once there, he began preparing a cappuccino for himself. "Want one?" he offered, knowing the micronation had followed him.

Lorenzo shrugged, awkwardly shifting on his feet. "Hot chocolate is fine…"

"Suit yourself," Luci sighed and threw together a drink for his brother.

"Thanks…" Lorry mumbled, taking the mug from his brother's hands.

They sat across from one another at the table, quietly sipping at their drinks for the next few minutes.

"What's on your mind?" Luciano asked, cutting through the silence. "You wanted to talk, didn't you?"

Lorenzo flinched slightly. "Yeah….um….I just…."

"Something happen?"

"…..no. Well," the micronation shifted, looking anywhere but the nation in front of him. "I just need some advice, is all."

"Advice?"

"Yeah."

"…..Regarding…?"

Lorenzo gulped uncomfortably, fidgeting in his seat. "Um…..you have to promise not to tell."

Luciano rose an eyebrow questioningly. "Do I look like a gossiper to you?"

The younger Italian shook his head. "Well…okay. So I kind of….like someone," he admitted, earning a puzzled look from the elder. "Another micronation. I just—I don't know what to do, okay? I'm not sure if they would even like me back….And hell knows I can't ask Flav about it, y'know?"

Luci sighed. "He has a lot more experience with romance than I do."

"He also goes way overboard when it comes to relationship stuff."

"True."

"So you see my problem?"

Sighing again, Luci rubbed his head in frustration. "You know I've never really cared for this relationship shit. I wouldn't even know what to tell you." He paused, noting the disappointed expression on his fratellino's face. He ran a hand through his hair, continuing. "I doubt you're in the same situation, but….it's probably better to tell them how you feel while you still have the chance," he whispered, taking a long sip of his drink.

Lorenzo tilted his head. "What do you mean?" he asked, receiving no answer. "Luci?" he hesitated.

"Look." Luciano set his mug down and crossed his arms. "I had a mutual…._liking_…..with someone when I was younger. But we were both too fucking stubborn to do anything about it. Not that we were old enough for a relationship anyway," he rambled, waving his hand in dismissal. "But he ended up dying in war without even a goodbye. I doubt you'd end up in the same situation as micronations, but still. Who knows."

The micronation swallowed, tearing up. "Luci, I….I had no idea."

"Of course not. I never told anyone," Luciano said casually, sipping at his cappuccino again.

Lorenzo sniffled, staring down at his now-cold hot chocolate. "Is that…why you don't like relationships?"

Luciano went silent, finishing off his drink. "I thought you were here for advice. This isn't some _In Treatment_ session."

"Sorry, I just….it's not good to keep things in, you know?"

"Oh, and now you're giving me advice?" Luci replied bitterly.

"S-scusa."

"It's fine," he stated. "I don't like talking about things. You know that."

"Yeah, I know," Lorenzo sighed sadly.

The room filled with a heavy silence; the two of them both sitting quietly and looking anywhere but each other. The only sounds to be heard were the muffled engines of vehicles in the streets outside and the occasional honking horns. An ambulance wailed faintly in the distance.

"So…" Luciano broke the silence, "Who is this micronation?"

"….Lothair…"

"I see….Which one is that?"

Lorenzo chuckled. "Kugelmugel."

"Ah. The one that lives with the bastard Roland."

"Yeah, that one," Lorry laughed. "They're actually really nice, despite living with a psychopath."

"Hey, what are you trying to say?" Luci joked.

"What?" Lorenzo continued laughing. "You lived with him for a while too, right? But hey, you're not a _complete_ psychopath."

"Complete, huh?" Luci repeated, rising from his seat and rounding the table to where his brother was sitting. "So I'm still a psychopath then?"

"Nah, more of a sociopath," Lorenzo giggled, squealing when Luci put him in a headlock.

"That so?" the elder smirked, trapping his younger brother and using his free hand to poke at his sides, tormenting him. Lorenzo squealed and squirmed violently, trying to escape his grasp.

"S-stop it! You know that's my weak spot!"

"Maybe you should reconsider insulting me then," Luciano said, continuing his relentless attack until Lorenzo had squirmed his way right out of the chair and onto the floor.

"I give!" Lorry shouted, crawling under the table to get away.

Luci crouched, peering under the table. "Running from the battle you started?"

"No!" Lorry exclaimed. "H-hold on, let's just go back to talking! No more attacks. I give!"

"Hm," Luciano hummed. "What kind of sociopath listens to his prey?"

"Wait, wait, _wait_!"

"What the hell are you two doing?" a voice came from the kitchen's doorway. Luciano turned his head to the side, glaring up at the blond Italian. Flavio didn't seem to know how to react to his brothers being on the floor and under the table. "Honestly, this is what I come home to?" he sighed, walking over to place his shopping bags on the table.

"We were just messing around," Lorenzo admitted.

"Oh?" Flavio asked curiously. "Was mister works-all-day actually playing along with your antics?"

"Oh, shut up," Luciano scowled, getting up from the floor. "This brat called me a sociopath."

Flavio smiled. "Well~"

"Don't."

"You are."

"Shut the fuck up."

"Will you guys stop?" Lorry groaned, crawling out from the table. "Seriously, why does everything have to be a fight with you two?"

"I was only teasing," Flavio chuckled, grabbing the two mugs from the table and placing them in the sink. He started washing them. "So. Anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

The younger two were silent for a moment, having seated themselves again. They met each other's eyes, as if having some sort of mental conversation. Lorenzo coughed, looking away. "Um. Well, I might….kind of need some advice."

Flavio paused in doing the dishes, perking up. "Advice on what?"

"Uh…asking….someone out," Lorry mumbled.

On cue, Flavio practically dropped the dishes into the sink, whipping around to face them. "Oh my lord, is this finally happening?! Lorry, do you like someone? Who is it? Tell me everything!" he squealed, eyes sparkling with excitement.

The micronation blushed. "Flav, I just need advice. I don't wanna go on a whole spiel."

"But I must know," Flavio demanded.

"I really don't want you to make a big deal out of this," Lorry mumbled, glancing at Luciano for help.

"It's another micronation," Luci intervened. "That's all you need to know."

Flavio gasped. "You told _Luci_ but not _me_?"

"Luci doesn't make a big deal of things…"

"Yes, but he also isn't an expert in love."

"At least I'm not a fucking whore," Luciano grumbled and turned away.

"I am _NOT_ a whore, mind you. And while we do experiment a bit, I am in a perfectly _happy_ relationship," Flavio defended. "That aside, Lorenzo, I think we need to have a little talk before anything happens between you and this person you're infatuated with."

Lorry moaned. "Please don't."

"This is important, fratellino. Honestly, I was afraid I might never have to give this talk to either of my little fratelli, but finally the day has come!" he cheered, clasping his hands together. He ignored the way Luciano rolled his eyes, choosing only to focus on the youngest. "When two people love each other very much—"

"Oh god."

"There are certain things they might wish to do," the eldest continued, again ignoring Luciano as he got up and left the room, and Lorenzo as he pleaded for Luci not to leave him. "You're at that age, Lorenzo, where I'm sure things begin to feel a bit differently, and you want to find an outlet for these feelings. Well, I'm here to make sure you do so _safely_, and as a love expert, to help you do so with maximum pleasure. So let's begin—"

Lorenzo lay his head on the table, wishing he hadn't said anything. He'd just wanted advice, not a lecture on things he'd _rather not_ be discussing with his fratello. He did his best to tune everything out. But yeah, he definitely understood why the middle brother never told them anything.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was relatively fun to write. I really like the relationship between Luci and Lorry, so it's kind of a nice break to have them interact as opposed to the normal Luci and Flavio, whom almost always argue. lol Well, that's my headcanons for them anyway. You're free to have your own. But at any rate, I hope you liked this!**

**Reference:** "**In Treatment" – Italian adaptation of the psych-therapy drama "BeTipul"**

**Thanks for reading &amp; ****please review~!**


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